Summer Nights
by Tigerwalk
Summary: Two vacations, three nights, one chance. Rick and Michonne meet on the same strip of sand and spend the summer nights getting to know each other. (this is not a one shot, sorry for the confusing description :-))
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Day 1

The thick humidity forced droplets of water to run down the side of the plastic cup Rick was holding, leaving his fingers cold while the rest of him sweltered in the balmy night. He dried his palm on the untucked hem of his button down shirt, leaving light grey streaks of moisture across the white cotton, then absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair, taking in the scene.

This wasn't his type of place; loud music, ten dollar drinks served in tiny plastic cups, girls who looked way too young to be wearing what they were wearing and dancing how they were dancing. This was Shane's type of place. He'd chosen it because he said they needed the full beach vacation experience since they rarely made it to the coast. They were situated on a deck that stretched over the sand and the ocean waves crashed just below the platform. It would have been the perfect place to relax with a beer and enjoy the roar of the water, but a hundred plus bodies were jammed together, writhing on the dance floor, some in time to the music, some not, drowning out the peaceful song of the sea.

Despite the broiling temperature, Rick thought they might be able to catch a breeze coming off of the waves if they could make it through the crowd to the edge of the deck. He raised his voice over the exuberant request by the Black Eyed Peas for everyone to get it started, and nodded to his friends to follow him. Abe nudged Shane with his elbow and their ever prowling friend bid adieu to the girl he was talking to, who Rick was sure was significantly younger than the man realized. They followed the path Rick was forging, out from under the canopy that covered the bar and the dance floor, and into the open air where a warm breeze was mercifully drying the brows of those who had escaped there.

"Grimes, do you really think your need for fresh air was worth ending my conversation with that pretty little thing in there?" Shane challenged.

"It was either that or arrest you," Rick said, breaking free from the wall of people to find a clear spot up against the railing of the deck. "You check her I.D.?"

"Listen, Officer Buzz Kill, trust the fine men working the door to keep the clientele above age. You're on vacation, remember?"

"Damn straight!" Abe agreed.

Rick smirked at the two, lifting his ridiculously expensive Solo cup in the air. "I remember," he assured them, taking a large swig of his drink.

They managed to hold on to their comfortable spot as the crowd ebbed and flowed before them. Throngs of people pushed onto the deck when the music slowed, pulling back like the tide once the beat picked up again. The bass from the speakers was vibrating through the floorboards currently, so they had plenty of elbow room where they stood.

Abe and Shane were once again engaged in a debate over the upcoming college football season, Abe contorting his hand into the shape of the horns of his favorite Texas team, while Shane rattled off the attributes of his precious Georgia Tech. Rick was leaning casually against the railing, nodding in agreement with Shane when appropriate, and watching intoxication wash over the room as the night ticked forward.

He had been watching a couple of women out of the corner of his eye for a few minutes now. Two friends who were seemingly part of a larger group, as they kept making faces across the room at a few other women, when the man who was talking to them took a sip of his drink. They didn't know him, Rick could tell. Reading body language was one of the things he considered himself particularly good at. He was trained for it as a cop, but he had always had a knack for pegging people, reading their intentions. This guy's intentions were to continue this conversation with one or both of these ladies well after last call.

The blonde woman seemed to be egging him on for her own amusement, while her companion looked like she was trying to decide between being polite and telling the guy to screw off. The way she stared at the man with one eyebrow raised incredulously, her large eyes questioning his every word, made Rick chuckle.

She was wearing a fitted orange tank top and her chocolate skin had a bit of a sheen to it from the temperature. The light bounced off of her, highlighting her toned arms and proving she was more than capable of handling herself in the situation. The guy was on the smaller side, she could definitely take him, Rick mused. He was sure the two women had it under control, but still, he kept them in his peripheral vision, just in case.

He did a sweep of the room again, feeling himself get tired just watching the dance floor bounce from one song to the next without taking a break. He had refilled his drink twice already and, after spending more than he had on dinner, he was finally feeling the fiery rum sparking in his veins. At least they were mixing some country music in he thought, as he felt his shoulders begin to loosen and his blood start to pump in time with the bass.

He heard an awkward laugh come from over his shoulder and he turned back to where he had been watching the two friends, noticing the blonde scanning the crowd behind her. She was searching for an exit, he noticed. The man was invading her personal space now and she was beginning to look uncomfortable. Her friend was starting to look pissed.

Rick stood up straighter, glancing at Shane and Abe who were handing money to a waitress for some colorful shots she was serving from a tray. He sized the guy up again, confident he could end the situation pretty easily if he needed to.

The blonde woman noticed him watching them over his cup as he took a sip, and to his and her friend's surprise, she pointed a finger at him, saying something to the man. He knew his back was against the railing, but Rick still turned over his shoulder, half expecting her to be pointing at someone behind him that he hadn't noticed. Suddenly she plastered on a wide grin and walked the few steps over to where he was standing, hooking her arm through his and pulling him into the group.

"There you are, honey," she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you to come back." She turned toward the man they had been talking to and smiled. "This is my boyfriend."

She gave his bicep a squeeze and he watched her friend roll her eyes and shake her head. Rick cleared his throat, before committing to the woman's lie. "Sorry, sweetheart," he drawled. "There was a long wait at the bar."

The man looked Rick up and down, squinting as if he was considering challenging her claim. Seeing that she was being unconvincing, she reached up and ran her fingers over the stubble on Rick's jaw, looking him in the eye and contemplating kissing him right then and there to sell her story. Rick could see her formulating that plan, so he leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the forehead, wrapping his fingers lightly around her wrist to stop her stroke. He glanced at her friend who could apparently sense his growing discomfort and was utterly amused by it.

"It's ok, babe," she replied. "You're here now. I guess we should be going, nice to meet you." She waved to the man and reached for the other woman's arm. "Come on, Michonne."

Michonne. Rick rolled the name around in his head as he allowed her friend to pull him away from the poor guy who was still standing there with his mouth hanging open. It was a fitting name, beautiful and unlike any he'd ever heard. He had definitely never met a Michonne before. He had also never seen a woman with such flawless skin, and captivating eyes. And her lips, he had never seen lips like that. They were heart shaped and plump, and he couldn't help imagining what she might be willing to do with lips like that.

He watched her push ahead of them and he felt his dick twitch, as her hips swayed beneath the long flowy skirt, wrapped around her perfect ass. He realized he was staring so hard she could probably feel his eyes on her, so he forced himself to refocus his gaze past her shoulder at nothing in particular. When they had sufficiently blended in with some of the other patrons, his new girlfriend released him.

"Thanks," she said, using her palms to smooth his shirt over his chest. "You're a doll."

"No problem," he answered, looking over her shoulder at Michonne. She still had a smirk on her face and she hadn't said a word yet, but he could tell she was the type of woman who could make you melt or kick your ass, depending on how much she liked you.

"Let me buy you a drink for playing along," Michonne's friend said, pulling his attention back.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It was no trouble. Besides, I already have one." He held up his cup of now watery alcohol, tapping it against hers.

"Let her," Michonne said, surprising him with the way she met his gaze and held it hostage. He swallowed hard, for some reason feeling a little weak at the sound of her voice. "She owes you. Andrea, get the man a drink."

Andrea passed her gaze back and forth between them, obviously noticing the staring contest they had begun over her shoulder. Rick didn't say anything. He really didn't want her to buy him a drink, but it occurred to him that he might be left alone for a few minutes with Michonne if Andrea took off for the bar. He was weighing the options when he felt a hard slap on his shoulder.

"Thought we lost ya," Shane bellowed, slinging an arm around his shoulders and forcing him to look away from Michonne to greet him.

"You found me," Rick answered, doing a poor job hiding his irritation at his friend's untimely arrival.

"And you made friends." Abe came up behind him, closing the circle they were making. "Ladies..."

Rick shrugged out of Shane's embrace, taking a step back as his two gregarious friends greeted the women. He ran his thumb over his brow, peeking from under his hand to watch his best friend introduce himself to Michonne. He was pleasantly surprised to find she didn't seem all that impressed with Shane even though he was giving her his most charming smile, his brown eyes shining with sexual confidence.

Shane could be overpowering sometimes. It wasn't that Rick couldn't hold his own when it came to the opposite sex, it was just that he did better when he had time to actually talk to a woman. Shane often intercepted those opportunities.

Rick had been so busy scoping out Shane's intentions that he hadn't noticed the two women whom Michonne and Andrea had been gesturing to previously had joined their group.

"Sasha and Maggie," Andrea said as the introductions got around to Rick.

"Rick Grimes," he said, shaking each of their hands.

"It's Maggie's bachelorette party," Andrea announced, giving the young brunette a hug.

"It's a pre-wedding girls trip," she corrected. "Bachelorette parties are silly."

"Right," Sasha countered. "And Glenn is having a barbeque at Daryl's house."

"He is!" Maggie sighed. "What about y'all?" she asked the men. "Celebrating somethin'?"

"Celebrating being alive, ladies," Abraham said, tipping his chin to the night sky and taking in a deep pull of salty air. "And life is good down here."

"Shane and I were here for work, decided to make a vacation of it," Rick said. "Abe decided to join us."

"I don't miss a party," Abe said. "Even if I have to invite myself."

Michonne laughed along with the others at Abe's joke, but Rick noticed she hadn't said much. She was still sipping a pink cocktail with a fresh cut orchid floating in the top, and seemingly taking in the cast of characters that had followed him into their evening. He tipped back his cup and swallowed the last of his drink, catching her gaze over the conversation that had sprung up around them. She didn't look away and he smiled, feeling emboldened by the rum burning in his chest and her apparent immunity to Shane's charms. He stepped out of the circle they had formed, and behind Andrea who wasn't so immune, to press a finger to the back of Michonne's arm. She stepped away too, unnoticed, and turned to face him with a cautious smile. She was trying to get a read on him, he figured, after the situation he had just helped them exit, and he thought he wanted nothing more than to be a book that she could browse all night long.

"Can I get you another drink, Michonne?" he asked, unable to keep from saying her name out loud.

The corner of her mouth curled upward and she brought her cup to her mouth, draining it. "Sure."

He held an arm out, gesturing for her to lead the way and let his hand graze the small of her back, making sure not to lose her in the crowd. When they reached the bar she squeezed onto a stool, putting her at eye level with him and giving him an even better view of her pretty face. She flashed the bartender a bright smile, earning them immediate service. Rick ordered another round of their chosen poison and gave the bartender his name to add them to his tab.

"So, what do you do, Rick Grimes?" she asked, trying his name out for size the same way he had done. "You said you were here for work."

He took a sip of his drink before answering. "We had an annual training down here. I'm a cop," he said, using his thumb to wipe the excess moisture from his lip. He found that information could produce a variety of reactions, and he leaned back on his heels, studying her face for hers.

She nodded, taking a matching sip from her straw. "That makes sense."

"Really?" he smiled, amused by her confidence. "How's that?"

She spun around on her seat to face him, crossing her legs in the small space between them. "I saw you keeping an eye on things over there. Looking out for two women you didn't even know. I also saw you watching those girls who look like they definitely got in here with fake I.D.'s"

She gestured behind her to a threesome of tiny, tan, blonde girls who looked like they should be ordering milkshakes at the mall food court instead of jello shots at the bar. "So," she continued. "You're either the protector type, like a cop or a dad...or you're a total creep."

Rick laughed out loud, enchanted by her playful banter. "Come on," he replied. "Would Andrea have dated me for these last few minutes if I was a creep?"

"You don't know Andrea," she shot back, joining in his laughter. Rick shifted on his feet so her knee settled against his thigh. He leaned an elbow on the bar, bringing his chest closer to her and he could smell the scent of coconut and sun-kissed skin drifting from her.

"And what about you, Michonne? What do you do?"

"Well, Officer, I'm an attorney. My firm mostly works with young girls who have been victims of sex crimes."

"Wow," he replied, more impressed with her by the minute. "So, you're the protector type too...and that's why _you_ noticed those girls." He nodded his chin toward the three whom they had both been keeping an eye on.

"Mmm hmm," she confirmed, watching him intently. They smiled at each other for a few moments, mulling over their similar career paths.

They felt the crowd around them grow thicker with eager patrons vying for the man behind the bar's attention, and Rick noticed the music had had a change in mood. Kenny Chesney's Anything But Mine, came blaring over the speakers and Rick smiled as the dance floor immediately divided into circles of drunken friends singing along to the classic summertime lyrics, and couples taking advantage of the opportunity to press themselves together.

"You like this song?" Michonne asked, taking in the easy grin on his face.

"I do." He met her eyes, losing himself in the thick brown sea. "Do you think my girlfriend would mind if I asked you to dance?" he asked.

She leaned forward and whispered into his ear with a coy smile, as she eyed their group of mixed friends, still chatting. "I think you're about to break up."

He followed her gaze and saw Shane's arm wrapped around a giggling Andrea. He couldn't help but laugh at how quickly his friend had made his move on the flirty woman. He turned back toward Michonne who was still beaming at him and grabbed her hand, helping her down from the stool before leading her through the wall of sweaty people to an open spot on the floor.

Kenny crooned on about fleeting summer romance and making the most of the night, and Rick felt a wave of empathy for the singer, as he slipped his free hand around Michonne's waist and pulled her against his chest. "How long are you here?" he asked, suddenly fearing her answer.

"Two more days," she answered, her eyes starting to reflect the wistfulness of the song.

"Us too. And then where?"

"Atlanta," she replied, watching for his inevitable reaction to her distant home.

He stopped swaying for a moment to squint quizzically at her. "Really?"

She nodded, staring up at him as they stood still. "You?"

"About forty-five minutes south of there. Town called King's County."

She looked at him with the same cocked eyebrow she had given the man he had rescued her from. "So we both traveled five hours to end up at the same sweaty bar on the same little stretch of sand?" she asked. "Where are you staying?"

"Comfort Suites," he chuckled. "Shane picked it."

"We're two hotels down, The Tidal Inn. Tall one with the white balconies."

"I saw it from the beach this morning," he said, as the song came to an end.

They held onto each other, both secretly hoping for another ballad, but the beat picked up and the crowd filled back in around them. Sasha appeared beside them then, pulling Maggie behind her and the two started dancing to the tempo. Sasha playfully bumped into Michonne with her hip as she danced, forcing Rick to loosen his hold on her. She smiled at him, feeling the pull of her friends' revelry and the woman she was supposed to be celebrating with.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Rick asked over the music, feeling as if he was about to lose his shot.

"I assumed you were going to ask me to go home with you tonight," she simpered, giving him a sexy smile that made his stomach flutter. His mouth dropped open and he stumbled for a response. "I would have said no," she said, letting him off the hook.

"Glad I went with my plan then," he said, regaining his confidence. He held onto her hand as her two friends worked to surround her and take back her company.

She looked him up and down with a smile. "Like I said, we're on the same little stretch of sand. If you're meant to see me tomorrow, you will." With that she dropped his hand and allowed Maggie to pull her into an intoxicated dance embrace, gifting him one more smile over her shoulder before turning away.

 **...**

"Thought you were gonna get yourself some tonight, Rick," Shane said as the three friends left the bar and made their way down the cement path toward their hotel. Abraham snickered beside them, having had too many drinks to inject his usual crassness into the conversation. "You had that intense look you get when you ain't fucking around. Thought for sure Abe and I would be getting ourselves some ear plugs from the concierge and sleeping on the living room floor."

"I'll see her again," Rick answered, not wishing to go where Shane was headed with this conversation.

"Alright, Brother. Just remember what I told ya...vacation!" He simulated a sexual act with his hands and hips, laughing at his own humor.

"I got it," Rick answered, glancing up as they passed Michonne's hotel on their walk. Two more days, he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Hi everyone, here's the next chapter. Thanks for all your reviews and big thanks to RBGzMom for picking out their swimwear :-)

 **Chapter 2- In The Bright Light of Day**

"Alright, ladies," Sasha said as she paced around the living room of their two bedroom suite with a clipboard, like a cruise director. "On the agenda today is breakfast, the beach, lunch, more beach then dinner and dancing."

"You needed to print that out?" Andrea asked, with her feet slung over the arm of the loveseat and her aching head in Michonne's lap.

"I have a list of restaurants to choose from, and tonight's entertainment schedule for all the clubs around here. We are not missing a minute of fun Googling places to go," Sasha replied, unfazed by Andrea's attitude. She plopped down in the wooden chair at the little kitchen table, next to Maggie who was holding her head in her hands and sipping water through a straw.

Sasha was taking her maid of honor duties seriously, like she did everything else. The girl was a force when she put her mind to something.

"I think that's about all any of us have in us today, anyway," Michonne said, giving the bride-to-be a sympathetic look.

"Perfect, then everyone up and at 'em. Meet in one hour for breakfast." Sasha glanced at her cellphone for the time. "Brunch," she amended, scratching a line off of her paper.

Once they had all showered, changed and forced food into their vengeful stomachs, Michonne was starting to feel like she could actually make it through the day. The temperature had not given up since the night before, continuing its climb toward unbearable. The water and the sea breeze were calling her name. She stood in the bedroom she was sharing with Andrea and slipped on the new bikini she had purchased for this trip. White, bandeau top and black and white striped bottoms, the colors contrasted nicely against her dark skin and she was pleased with how she looked. She pulled her shoulder length dreadlocks up into a ponytail and sauntered over to the window, pulling back the curtain and scanning the view of the beach just past their window.

"What are you lookin' at?" Andrea asked, poking her head out of the bathroom off of their room, and tying the straps of her blue halter bathingsuit around her neck.

"Just seeing how crowded the beach is," she lied. She knew she was too far away to make out any faces, but she couldn't help peeking out to see if she could spot Rick somewhere on the sand between their closely situated hotels. She figured she would at least be able to spy his friend Abraham from here, with his large frame and almost cartoonish red hair. She'd told Rick if they were meant to run into each other again, they would, but she was secretly hoping he might go out of his way to force their paths to cross. "I see some open sand," she said, turning back to Andrea, slightly disappointed that her search came up short.

They heard Sasha hollering from the living room about a time table and the best hours for sun and grabbed their bags to meet the others.

The four made it to the sand and Michonne suggested going to the left, purposely heading away from the direction of the hotel Rick was staying at. She decided to forget about the blue eyed cop with his adorably lazy drawl and curly hair that looked like it was dying to be tousled between someone's fingers. She was here for quality time with her girls and didn't need the distraction anyway, not with Sasha's strict itinerary.

"So this is the plan until further notice, right Sasha?" Maggie lowered herself onto the towel she had laid out and pulled her thick black sunglasses over her eyes.

"Until the sun starts to go down and the night starts to heat up, girls." Sasha announced.

Maggie groaned at the thought of having to pull herself together for another night out and Andrea plopped down beside her, burying her head in the crook of her arm.

"I'm feeling good," Sasha said, smirking at her two friends. "You feeling good, Michonne?"

"I'm feeling like a million bucks." A greasy breakfast and a couple of Tylenol and she was back to her old self. Of course, she did tend to pace herself a little better than Andrea, and Maggie was always letting their wilder friend influence her.

"I mean, I'm not jogging on the beach in the scorching heat good," she said nodding with her chin at two men who were out for a late morning run. "But I'm better than these girls."

Michonne tipped her sunglasses up to see who Sasha was gesturing to, when she recognized him. Rick and Shane were heading up the beach, probably back to their hotel, she assumed. Shane was shirtless but Rick wore a fitted white t-shirt that was soaking through with the sweat from his exertion. The moisture spread across his broad chest, tapering into the shape of a V on his abs, like an arrow drawing her eyes downward against her will.

He spotted her almost immediately, his stride faltering slightly as their eyes met and he slowed down. He reached an arm out to grab Shane by the elbow, forcing him to stop, and headed in the direction of their row of towels.

"Michonne," he said, then, remembering his manners, greeted Sasha as well. Andrea and Maggie didn't lift their heads, having succumbed to their exhaustion.

She squinted up at him, inwardly intrigued by the fact that she had purposely chosen to obstruct a second meeting, yet here they were. "Hey Rick," she said. "What a coincidence."

"I guess it was meant to be," he said, slightly out of breath from his exercise.

"You mean you weren't out here combing the beach for me?" She was feeling slightly silly for looking for him earlier, so she decided to turn on the charm and try to regain some of the poise she had let slip away.

"It's still early," he smiled. "I wanted to give myself a chance to win without having to cheat...though, I would have."

And just like that she lost it again, feeling her face flush at his somehow endearingly cocky grin. She dropped her sunglasses back on her nose and leaned back on her hands. "This is pretty impressive," she said, waving a hand between Rick and Shane. "As you can see, we aren't faring as well this morning." She nodded behind her at her sleeping friends with a smile.

"Abe's still passed out on the floor beside the couch, so you're doing better than him."

Michonne smiled, noticing Rick's sociable friend was pretty quiet at the moment, and she had to guess they were probably doing better than Shane as well.

"We were going to head out here in a little while, ourselves. Can we join you, or is this an official pre-wedding gathering?"

He was standing with his hands on his hips and his head tilted just slightly as he waited for permission to come back, and Michonne couldn't help a little tingle at the thought of some extra time to stare at those amazing eyes. She glanced at Sasha, hoping her friend wouldn't need to consult the clipboard before she could give them an answer, but she was just staring at Michonne, as eager as Rick was to hear her answer. With Maggie asleep, she figured it wouldn't be intruding on anything special to invite them over.

"Since the bride is passed out, all official gatherings are on hold," she said with a little smirk. "We'll be here for the afternoon. Come back."

He broke into a grin, not attempting to hide his delight in her answer. "We will." With that he and Shane resumed their run for the last stretch to their hotel.

"Look at you flirting with Officer Charming," Sasha said, once they were out of earshot. "You two hit it off last night during that slow dance?"

Michonne lay all the way back onto her towel, adjusting her bathing suit top for the most flattering view. "He's cute," she said casually, telling herself the fluttering in her stomach was because of her determined hangover, not nervousness. She didn't do nervous.

"Um, yeah, I think you could say that," Sasha snickered, peering at her friend from under her sunglasses.

Michonne's mouth curled into a grin despite herself, and she nodded.

Taking far less time than the four women did to prepare for the afternoon, Rick and Shane returned thirty minutes later, showered and dressed in swim trunks with a bleary eyed Abe following behind them. The large man was carrying a cooler with a brown paper bag on top and looked as though he had been dragged from the room against his will.

"Hey guys," Maggie greeted, having woken a few minutes prior. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up, pushing an elbow into Andrea's prone form. "Good to see you again."

"You'll be really glad to see us when you see what we brought you," Shane said, having perked up since they last spoke.

Abe set the cooler down between them as Rick took a seat next to Michonne and reached over to remove the lid. He pulled out a Corona, expertly popping the top off on the corner of the cooler and handed it behind him to Maggie, then repeated the action, offering one to Michonne.

Maggie grimaced as she took the bottle, unsure as to whether she could even hold an alcoholic beverage at the moment.

"Hair of the dog, honey," Shane said. "Can't have you missing your own party 'cause of a little over indulgence."

"I had one in the shower," Abe agreed. "Did the trick." He pulled a sleeve of crackers out of the bag and handed it to her. "Rick said you looked a little green around the gills. Here's my own personal stash."

"Aren't you sweet," Maggie smiled, taking a few of the bland crackers and popping them in her mouth.

"Pass 'em down," Andrea said, pulling herself up from her nap to join them.

Michonne smiled at Rick, and watched his eyes settle on her lips as she took a sip from the bottle, then dart back to the rolling ocean when she noticed.

There was just enough cloud cover to give them some relief as the sun reached its mid day peak, but Michonne could still feel little beads of sweat starting to form on the small of her back as they chatted and drank the guys' beer. The three were good company, she thought, happy that Maggie didn't seem offended that they had invited them to share the afternoon.

Shane had been right about the beer, Maggie was perking up and currently laughing at something Abe was saying to her and Sasha. They made conversation for a while, Sasha telling them about her boyfriend Bob at home and Maggie mentioning her fiance a few more times, so no one would get the wrong idea. Abe pulled out a picture of a pretty Latina girl whom he was dating and the three seemed to find an easy friendship, now that they had established they all belonged to someone else. Shane and Andrea, were having their own conversation that amounted to a lot of whispers and laughter and the rest of the group was ignoring them.

Michonne was keeping an ear on Abe's story while sneaking glances at Rick, leaning back on his elbows beside her. His red and white shorts, with their large tropical flower print, were an interesting twist, she thought. She would have pegged him for something more conservative, but she liked it. He still had a t-shirt on though, and she was wondering how much hotter it was going to have to get for him to take that off. She caught him admiring her bare skin a few times, and thought it was only fair that she should get to do the same.

He finished the beer he was nursing and set the bottle back into the cardboard holder it had come from, wiping sweat away from his forehead.

"Sure is hot today," Michonne said, then chastised herself for not coming up with something more witty to say. She was much better at this with a few drinks in her.

"It is," he replied with a wide grin. "I'm about ready to jump in." He gestured to the crystal blue oasis before them, the waves pulling back and forth from the sand repeatedly, as if to hypnotize them into seeking its promised relief. "You want to join me?"

Michonne glanced at her friends who all looked quite content, and decided she wouldn't be missed too much if she broke away for just a little while. "Sure," she replied, finishing her own beer and handing him the empty bottle. He stood, offering her his hand to help her up from her towel, then reached for the hem of his t-shirt, slipping it over his head.

She pretended to be straightening her own suit, thanking herself for having the good sense to buy mirrored sunglasses, so she could watch without him noticing. He was in good shape, she noted, not surprised since she had witnessed his morning workout. Just a little chest hair sprinkled across his toned pecs and a dark trail leading from his bellybutton down into his shorts. She nodded her head unconsciously at her approval.

Rick tossed his t shirt on the towel and turned to face her, revealing a raised, circular scar on his left side, just below his ribs, and she eyed it for a moment, intrigued as to the story behind it. Before she could ask, his hand found her lower back, as it had done the night before, and he lead them down the beach toward the water.

He didn't hesitate, walking straight in until he was waist deep and cupping his hands to splash his face and neck with the salty water. After shaking the excess moisture from his brow, he waited patiently, watching her as she waded in. The clouds had turned into thin wisps, unable to accomplish the task of offering any shade, and Rick was squinting against the unrelenting rays. The reflecting light off the water made his chestnut hair look lighter than it had the previous night, giving his appearance a certain easiness to it, like a lazy Sunday morning. She pictured him lounging half naked in bed, those curls of his a mess from a night of being tugged on by greedy fingers. Feeling a little bit disconcerted by the impure thoughts this man was inviting just by standing there, she took her time making her way toward him, pretending to be adjusting to the temperature change.

"Much better," he said, when she finally met him where he stood. He bent his knees and let the cool water splash up over his chest, matting the hair there. He stood again, placing his hands on his hips, and the ocean lapped at his skin just below the scar she had been wondering about.

Something else caught her eye, though, making her forget about that mystery for a moment. As he ran his left hand through his hair and over his face, she spotted an unmistakable white band of skin around his ring finger that could only be caused by a constant lack of sun exposure.

She narrowed her gaze a little, inwardly groaning at the proverbial other shoe drop. She knew he was too good to be true. "So," she said, deciding she should probably just cut to the chase if he really was going to turn out to be a creep. "Are you one of those guys who goes on vacation and takes off their wedding ring, so they can have a little fun for a few days?" She pointed to his hand that was now back on his hip and watched as a confused expression took over his face.

He brought his hand up and stared at it, as she waited for some sort of stuttered out excuse. She cringed a little when instead, his full, pink lips formed a sort of melancholy smile and she immediately knew she was wrong.

"First summer it's seen the sun," he said. "It was last October when I took it off." He looked as though he was explaining to himself why he was still forced to wear the reminder of what was obviously an unpleasant memory.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It was shitty of me to assume that."

"It's ok," he replied, seeming genuine. "I'm sure women have to put up with that kinda thang all the time. I'm divorced, though." He swallowed hard and shrugged, letting his hand fall back under the water. "Guess it took ten years to make that mark, it's gonna take more than ten months for it to fade."

"Ten years is a long time," she said. She studied his face, not guessing he was too much older than her.

"We were really young," he said, as if he could read her mind. "Things look a lot different in your twenties than they do in your thirties."

She nodded, having had the exact same thoughts recently. "You can say that again."

"Anyway, she decided she'd be happier with someone else and she left to start over with him."

"Wow," she whispered, her gut starting to hurt for him. "I feel really bad for bringing it up."

He laughed, quietly. "It's ok. She figured it out first, but she was right. We didn't really have much to hold onto." He went quiet for a moment, looking out past her shoulder, then shook his head, trying to physically break up his gathering thoughts.

She gave him a contrite smile, feeling guilty that she had let her own harbored distrust cause pain to someone who had been nothing but sweet so far. She'd made a career working with the victims of the worst things that men could do and she didn't deny it had caused her to look at every man she met with an expectation of disappointment. Rick, however, had a certain genuineness in his eyes when he smiled that had her intrigued.

"Well, since I've already put my foot in my mouth," she laughed, hoping her self-deprecating humor would lighten the mood again. "Now I'm going to ask you about this." She reached out to brush her fingertips against the dark patch of skin that had first caught her attention.

He smiled again, taking her nosiness in stride. "Gun shot. Happened two years ago." He turned sideways, looking over his shoulder at his back and revealing a matching mark of similar circumference.

Her eyes opened wide. She wasn't sure what she had expected him to say, but that definitely wasn't top on the list, despite his profession. "You've got a lot of interesting stories, Rick."

The swell of the rough sea rocked into them as they stood, disrupting her foothold every time a wave snuck up on them, and he took a step closer, resting his hand on her hip in an effort to steady her balance. "Now that I've passed the 'not a creep' test and the 'not married' test, maybe you can tell me some of your stories."

She glanced over her shoulder and up the sand to where their friends sat. They had seemingly drawn an audience, as the group were all facing the water now, the women sitting in a row on the towels, Shane and Abraham flanking them. Abe had his hand up to his eyes, blocking the sun from intruding on his view of their conversation.

"Can I see you again tonight?"

"Sasha has us on a schedule. It's a Maid of Honor thing," she laughed. "But it's a small area, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up at the same place again."

His face lit up at her suggestion, though his eyes had turned a darker, more intense shade of blue as they focused on hers, and she shuddered a little at the change. "Is this going to be another game of chance?" he asked. "Or can you give me a clue where to find you?"

She smiled at being called out on her deliberate aloofness the prior evening, and rested a hand on his chest as she answered. "I'm not in charge, but give me your number when we get back to shore and I'll send you a text tonight letting you know where we are."

"Good," he answered, smiling as he took in their friends keeping watch. "I _am_ in charge, so I'll make sure we get there."

They made their way back to the group after a little more time cooling off, and were both surprised to find Sasha filling Shane and Abe in on the list of clubs she had compiled for the evening.

"Men have no idea how to plan a vacation," Sasha said, with a roll of her eyes. They shared a look as her friend recited the entertainment listings, and Abe nodded in agreement. It seemed like they were already scheduled to end up in the same place.

"I'm still going to give you my number," Rick said, so that only she could hear. "I don't want to take any chances."

She nodded, stepping in front of him to rummage through her bag and pull out her cellphone, handing it to him as he dried his hands on a towel. When he finished typing, he held it up in front of him and pressed the call button. His own phone began to vibrate along the towel where he had casually tossed it.

"You think I won't call?" she laughed.

"I told you," he said with a smile. "I'm not taking chances."

They stood there, smiling at each other despite the audience, until Shane interrupted with an exaggerated clearing of his throat. "We need to go grab some food."

"That we do," Abe agreed. "It's about half past chow time and I need to prepare myself for all the beer I plan on drinking tonight."

Maggie groaned again, the hot sun impeding the relief she was getting from the beer. "I'm still tryin' to keep down my breakfast."

"You'll rally by tonight," Andrea said, handing Maggie a large bottle of water.

"We'll see you later, then," Rick said, addressing the group, but keeping his eyes on Michonne.

"See you then." The demure grin she felt forming on her face surprised her and she looked down bashfully.

Michonne watched them gather their things and head off toward their hotel, leaving the women to their sunbathing. When their figures started to shrink down the long stretch of sand, she grabbed a book from her bag and attempted to slide down next to Sasha, avoiding her friends' stares. Sasha wasn't about to let her off the hook, though, and she playfully grabbed the paperback out of her hands, tossing it behind her.

"Start talking," Maggie said, as Sasha blocked Michonne's attempts to retrieve her reading material.

"Talking about what?" she smiled, feigning confusion.

"How was your swim?" Andrea smirked. "You two looked pretty friendly out there."

"It was fine," Michonne answered. She lay down on her towel, content to doze in the sun if she couldn't have her book.

"You are very smiley for just fine," Sasha said, nudging her elbow.

"We're on vacation, on the beach, with a beautiful view. What's not to smile about?"

"And it has nothing to do with your new friend?" Sasha laughed.

"Like I said...just enjoying the view."

"I have a feeling I'm bunking with you two tonight," Andrea said, gesturing to Maggie and Sasha.

"Stop it, Andrea. I have no intention of pulling a you on this trip and hooking up with some guy I just met."

"You could stand to take a page out of my book, Michonne. Like you said, you're on vacation. Lighten up and have some fun."

"I am having fun," she insisted.

"Well, have some more!" Andrea flicked the end of a towel at Michonne, receiving a roll of the eyes in response.

"I told him I'd see him later and I will," Michonne said, closing her eyes and laying her arm over her face to block any further conversing.

Sasha gave a loud groan, knowing they weren't going to get any good girl talk out of this new development, and she accepted defeat tossing the book back at her friend.

…

Michonne was running a touch of mauve gloss over her lips with the pad of her finger, after washing the sand from the day off of her body and changing out of her bathingsuit. She was taking her turn in the bathroom, preparing to go out to dinner when she heard the door to the adjacent bedroom click closed. She popped her head out of the doorway and saw Maggie taking a seat on the double bed that Andrea had claimed, crossing her legs and giving her a smile that could only be described as a mixture of pity and thinning patience.

"I'm almost ready," Michonne said, pretending to mistake Maggie's visit as an effort to hurry her along.

Maggie leaned back on her elbows, careful not to let her perfectly waved hair hit the pillows of the bed, and kicked off the black wedge sandals she had paired with her dress. "That's not why I'm here."

"Ok…" She went back to the mirror, turning over her shoulder to get a look at the curls she had put in her locks. Satisfied, she scooped the top half of her hair up and began pinning it in place.

"Listen, I know everyone was joking around down at the beach, but I think you should give this Rick guy a chance." Maggie's tone was conversational, but Michonne knew when she shut the door behind her that she was about to get a famous Maggie Green speech. Her father had always given them heavy hitting sermons on love and life growing up and Maggie had taken on the role when he passed.

"I am giving him a chance," she replied, keeping her eyes on her hair.

"No, you're not. You're going to let him hang out tonight, you might dance with him again, then you'll find something wrong with him and spend the next day and night avoiding him until we go home."

Michonne sighed audibly at the implication. "Not all guys are like Glenn, Mags. If I find something wrong with him it will be because there is something wrong with him."

"Not all men are like Mike, either," she said. "And Glenn's not perfect. He can't keep a secret to save his life, he likes playing video games, despite being a grown adult man, and would probably order pizza every meal if I didn't cook, but I see the way Rick is looking at you. That's the way Glenn looks at me, that's why I'm marrying him. Even though I could kill him sometimes, you can't go wrong with being looked at like that for the rest of your life."

"Now we are talking about the rest of my life?" Michonne laughed. She finished her hair and leaned on the doorway to face her friend. "I know how Glenn makes you feel and I'm so happy for you two. That's why we're here, to celebrate your wedding, to celebrate you. I didn't come here to pick up a guy, even a really good looking one." She gave Maggie a mischievous smile, hoping to play along enough to end the lecture.

"Nope," Maggie said. "You're not doing that. I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't want a bachelorette party. This is a girl's trip and it's just as much your vacation as mine. I'm not going to be your excuse." She stood from the bed and crossed the small space between them, reaching for Michonne's hands. "You work hard and you have to be serious so much of the time, but while we're here, you can have a little fun. Who knows, maybe it will turn into something else."

Michonne eyed her friend, unable to think of a response and with a squeeze of her hands, Maggie turned around, heading back to the living room. When she opened the door Michonne heard Andrea and Sasha, laughing and clinking glasses together, dance music playing from the tiny speakers of someone's cell phone.

"Ten minutes," Maggie said as she slipped out of the room.

Michonne tried to shake off her friend's words. She knew how to have fun like the rest of them, she thought. And Rick really did seem like a good guy. She took another look at her outfit in the mirror, a floor length tropical print dress with a high neck, and glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the bedside table.

Quickly, she unbuttoned the top of the dress, letting it fall to the floor and began digging through the dresser where she had put all of her clothes. She pulled out a few low cut tops and all of the bottoms she had packed and got to work putting together another outfit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3-Ain't Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up**

"You text her?" Shane asked as he ran a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time. Rick was laying on the couch in their suite, watching him primp and waiting for Abraham to get back with a bottle of scotch he had promised them after inviting himself to stay on their couch for the weekend.

"Yeah. She said they'd be at the place Sasha mentioned around 9."

Shane grabbed his wristwatch off of the bathroom counter and, having finally settled on an outfit, came to sit in the chair across from his less fussy friend. "We'll show up at 9:30 then," he said with a grin. "Make her wait."

Rick scrunched his eyebrows at the man and typed his reply, letting Michonne know they would be there the same time and that he planned on buying her a drink when he got there. He shoved his phone in his back pocket and sat up to reach for a slice of the pizza that was getting cold on the coffee table.

"Booze delivery!" Abraham bellowed as he pushed through the front door. "Captain Ford has come through."

"'Bout time. I've had enough of this swill you had us playing cards with." Shane went to the kitchenette and grabbed three rocks glasses while Rick cleared the table of their leftover beer cans.

"Well, this stuff here is smooth as a baby's bottom," Abe said, as he poured three shots with a dramatic flick of the wrist to end each one. "Speaking of smooth, we going out to some dive beach club or did we get moved to the VIP lounge?" He gestured to Shane's freshly pressed button up shirt and designer jeans.

Rick chuckled, finishing his slice before picking up his glass.

"Well, we can't all throw on a black t shirt and Levi's and rely on our baby blues to get the women wet in the panties," Shane said, knocking back his shot and tipping his chin toward Rick.

Abe threw back his head with a bellowing laugh, slapping Rick on the back. "To be fair, he is rocking that t shirt."

"Alright, let's try to tone down the language a little when we get there, Shane," Rick said, finally getting around to his drink. "These are nice girls."

"They're all nice, brother. Until you pour 'em some Tequila and convince 'em not to be." He let out a loud growl as he took another pull of the scotch, sipping this glass instead of shooting it. "That's what you gotta do, get this girl nice and…"

"How much time we got?" Abe interrupted, cutting Shane off before he could piss Rick off any further.

Rick looked at his watch to see it was 8:30. "We're leaving in ten minutes, so do whatever you gotta do."

…

"Eighties band!" Abe announced excitedly, as they approached the club that Sasha had told them about. The little chalkboard sign out front was advertising a cover band specializing in music from one of the worst decades ever to happen, according to Rick, but he was glad to hear Abe was going to enjoy it. That way he wouldn't be pushing to leave and go somewhere Michonne was not.

The bouncer waved them in, and they took a couple steps down into a long dark room with flashing lights bouncing around the ceiling. Rick gave his eyes a minute to adjust to the lighting, then scanned the bar for the woman he wanted to see. The band hadn't started yet, so most of the bar goers were huddled around the row of metal stools, casually sipping cocktails and enjoying the remaining moments left when they could actually hear their conversations.

Shane pushed past them, leading the way to the bar with a wave of his hand for them to follow and Rick and Abe complied. The place had some top forty music piped in while the band prepared their instruments on stage and once they got closer to the crowd, Rick spotted Sasha and Andrea dancing beside a stool, their drinks held high in the air.

"Ladies, we meet again," Abe said, throwing a friendly arm around the two of them and putting his mustachioed lips on the straw sticking out of Sasha's drink. Rick cringed as the boisterous man made himself comfortable, but neither woman seemed to mind.

The first few warm up notes started floating from the five foot tall speakers flanking the dance floor and Rick shielded his eyes with his hand, hoping to find Michonne while he could still speak to her. His wish was granted when he spotted her stepping out of the area beside the bar where the restrooms were located. The bright light of the hallway behind her made her look like she was glowing and he thought it was possible she wasn't even real, just something he dreamed up. However, as she approached them, he could hear the sound of her laughing with Maggie and he was reminded that not only was she real, but she was there to meet up with him.

"Hey," he greeted, as the two women nearly walked right into him, lost in their conversation.

"Hey." Michonne stopped, tipping her head up to gift him a bright smile.

"Hi, Rick," Maggie said, glancing back and forth between the two. "Glad you made it."

"Nowhere else I was going to be," he said, keeping his eyes on Michonne.

Rick couldn't read the loaded look she and Maggie were exchanging, but Maggie kept going, finding her way to the others.

"Do you have a drink yet?" he asked, noticing her hands were empty.

"Was just about to get one," she answered. He nodded, taking her hand and leading them past a couple of people to an open spot at the bar.

"You get the bartender over here, I'll buy the drinks."

She smiled at his confidence in her ability, and proved she was up to the task when the man mixing drinks made a beeline for her as soon as she waved her hand. Rick looked at her expectantly and she ordered a rum and coke. He held up two fingers and handed the bartender his credit card.

By the time their drinks made their way into their hands, the lead singer was introducing the band in the microphone while the drummer kept a steady beat behind him. The sound was like the tick of a timer counting down the moments he had to convince her to stick by his side for the night.

He looked her up and down, taking in the way her fuschia shorts glowed like the sunset against the dark of her skin, forcing his eyes to focus on her hips and ass even more than he already was. She had a black, silk blouse tucked into them, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the buttons open low. The somewhat conservative top hung off of her curves so perfectly, it might as well have been a piece of lingerie. When she hopped up onto a vacant stool and crossed her legs, he saw the strappy, high heeled sandals she wore on her pink painted toes and he licked his lips involuntarily, tasting rum and the salty sweat that was beading on his upper lip.

"I didn't think it could get much better than sitting next you in that bikini this morning," he said, undoing her remaining buttons with his imagination. "But you look gorgeous, Michonne."

She smiled at him, letting the straw she was sipping from linger at her lips. "Thank you," she said, her eyes dropping down his front and back up again. "You look pretty nice yourself."

He looked down at his boots for a moment, shuffling his feet and hooking the thumb of his free hand into his front pocket. "I think...I think I'm going to have to kiss you before the night is over," he said, letting his eyes meander back up to hers. "If you don't want that to happen, just tell me now and I'll go."

He could tell by the look in her eye she wasn't going to tell him to go. She opened her mouth to say what her expression already had, but the band burst into their first song, stirring the crowd around them toward the dance floor. Abraham led Maggie and Sasha out into the front row, while Shane and Andrea were nowhere in sight. She seemed content to remain behind, letting her hand drop to the space between them and feeling in the dark for his fingers. She laced them between hers and gave him a smile that told him everything he needed to know.

After a few more impossibly loud songs, the band finally broke into a softer melody and with a smile from her and a nod of his head, they found themselves wrapped around each other on the dance floor, as they had been the night before.

"How was the rest of your afternoon?" he asked, pressing his hand into her hip to turn her with the music.

"Relaxing," she said, dreamily. She reached up, brushing her fingers across his face where the lights from the stage highlighted a soft crimson hue that had appeared along his nose and cheekbones. "You got a little sun."

"I did. I was rushing to get out to where you were and I forgot to put sunscreen on."

She shook her head at him with a smile. "Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"It's like you're feeding me these perfect lines, but I get the feeling you're just telling the truth."

"I don't have any lines," he laughed, capturing the hand she had just touched him with and holding it in his. "Shane's the smooth talker and Abe's the witty one. I just say what I mean. There's less confusion that way."

"Well, I find it quite charming," she simpered. "Being able to trust what someone says is worth a lot more than a suave delivery."

He nodded, wishing they could find a quieter place so he could whisper every truth he ever knew into her ear, but he settled for pressing his cheek to hers as they swayed in silence.

Eventually, he could feel the song approaching its finish and he sighed at the thought of having to let go of both her body and the sound of her voice when the volume crept back up. He looked back toward the bar where their friends were, hoping to get a feel for the group's willingness to find a better venue, when he noticed a set of double doors opening to his left.

"It looks like there's a patio out there," he said, tipping his head in that direction. "You wanna get some fresh air?"

She followed his gaze to the opening where a low light and a sliver of sand could be seen. "Absolutely," she said, keeping hold of his hand as he led them toward the door.

The back of the club ran along the shoreline and there was a large swath of sand roped off with a few picnic tables set around in various spots. High top tables dotted a cement peninsula, where tiny white lights were strung in rows above them.

The music was much softer outside, the metallic notes of island music dancing with the flickering light of the tall torches in each corner of the space, and all of Rick's senses began to relax in the new environment. This was where he could finally enjoy the nightlife, he thought. Conversation, a warm sea breeze, and a comfortable spot to sit back and enjoy this beautiful woman, still gracing him with her time. This was vacation.

They stopped at the small tiki style bar set up on the sand and ordered two more drinks. He liked the way the hard alcohol massaged his brain, letting his words flow easier, and he wanted to exchange more words with Michonne. He handed a few bills to the bartender, tossing his change in a jar labeled 'tips', then gestured for her to walk ahead of him to where the tables sat. He pulled a stool out for her and she hopped up onto it, leaning forward with her elbows on the table.

"So," he said when he had settled in beside her. "Tell me your story, Michonne. You already know all of mine."

"I'm sure that's not true," she said with a saccharin grin. "But, what do you want to know?"

"What do you like to do when you're not helping young girls or taking beach vacations?" He chanced an arm around the back of her chair and was rewarded when she crossed her legs, letting her foot rest against his calf.

"This is my first vacation in five years," she laughed. "If it wasn't for Maggie getting married, it might be another five."

"Well, I'll have to thank her then, for getting married and putting us on this same patch of sand."

"You do that," she replied. "I should thank her, too."

"Why's that?"

"She told me to give you a chance. Said you seemed like a nice guy. I think she might have been right about that."

He leaned back in his chair, smirking and shrugging slightly with one shoulder. "And Andrea introduced us, and Sasha scheduled us here together tonight. You've got good friends."

Michonne chuckled at the group effort that was keeping them circling each other. It was fun to play this game while they were here, away from life and all of its realities, but she knew things didn't always work so easily, no matter what Maggie said. "Really, though," she continued. "I work a lot. Doesn't leave much time for other things. Vacations...dating." She focused on her drink, swirling the liquid around in the glass to avoid watching his reaction.

"I work a lot too," he said, ignoring her obvious attempt at an excuse. "And shit hours. Never found it kept me from doing what I really wanted to. Truth is, I haven't wanted much else lately...until now." He paused to take a sip of his drink and Michonne chanced a glance, finding his eyes squarely on her. "I wasn't going to stay this weekend, after the conference. Shane made me. Called me a pain in the ass, said he was tired of me being afraid to enjoy life a little."

"I'm not afraid," she shot back.

"Course not," he smirked. "I was just talking about me."

"So, does Shane talk you into a lot of things?" she asked, having already observed Rick's friend in action. "He seems like he enjoys life quite a bit."

"Shane has his own way of doing thangs," he said, attempting to offer an explanation for his crass friend.

Michonne giggled, using the back of her hand to keep from spitting out her drink. "And how do you do thangs, Rick?" she said, playfully imitating his accent.

He laughed with her, enchanted by the way she made teasing him feel like foreplay. "I guess I do 'em the right way," he replied, giving her a confident wink, and watching as she held her grin in check.

"We should get back," she sighed. "They'll be looking for us."

He let his hand fall to her shoulder in a light caress, about to protest, when Abe's voice sounded from behind him, booming across the previously serene space.

"Look who I found!" he said, addressing the rest of their friends following behind him.

"Maggie is going back to the room," Andrea announced as they filled in around the table Rick and Michonne were sharing.

"Why?" Michonne asked, looking her friend up and down for a sign.

Maggie sipped from a cup of water she hadn't been without since dinner. "I tried to make it y'all, but I am still paying for last night. Besides, we have a full day tomorrow and I'm not going to be any good for it if I don't get some sleep."

"You know you're getting old when your hangover lasts into the night, Maggie. After that huge meal we had, you're still not recovered?" Andrea seemed genuinely upset at the thought of her friend giving up on her intentions to pull through the damage she had inflicted on herself. "It's not even midnight!"

"You guys stay out. I'm serious, I don't want to see you back at that hotel room before you are ready, but I have to sleep."

"You can't walk back by yourself," Abraham said sternly, already counting the four women as part of his ranks.

"It's not far," she began to protest.

"We could walk her," Rick said, spotting an opportunity to extend his alone time with Michonne. He sat up and pressed a hand to the back of her elbow, looking with hopeful eyes at the woman he was speaking for.

"We will," Michonne agreed.

Sasha gave Rick a hard glare across the table, sizing him up as if she was deciding whether to grant her permission.

"I'll bring her right back," he said. "I promise."

"Or don't," Andrea joked with a mischievous smirk. "She has no curfew tonight."

"Thank you guys," Maggie said, setting her empty cup on the table and elbowing Andrea as she walked by.

"Call me if you aren't coming right back," Sasha ordered Michonne, then turned to hug Maggie goodbye. "I mean it."

…

"I have to call Glenn before it gets too late," Maggie said, as they stepped onto the street, still bustling with the late night activities of people on respite from their real lives. She pulled her phone from her clutch, stepping a few paces ahead and dialing with the push of one button.

Michonne hooked her arm through Rick's, not wanting to get separated as they walked along the busy cement sidewalk. It seemed Maggie was the only one thinking of retiring for the night. The glow of replica gas lamps and the fluorescent glare from the trinket shops electrified the air, as notes from every genre of music danced out of the clubs and bars that dotted the popular strip. Even the arcade seemed to make its own offering to the ambiance of a carefree summer, noisily dinging and cheering the lack of responsibilities.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, taking in the way the night air seemed to massage her shoulders loose and paint her with an easy smile.

"I am," she said. "But I don't think I want to go back."

Rick raised an eyebrow at her, surprised by her sudden boldness. "Where do you want to go?"

"Let's go swimming," she said, squeezing his arm as if she was taking a precarious step.

He grinned at the idea of dropping Maggie off and having her to himself again. The commotion of the main drag faded into quiet conversations between the occasional group of people entering and exiting the hotels and the scent of the salt water found them again, bolstering her idea. They arrived in front of the imposing lobby of the expensive hotel she was staying at and he tipped his head to look at her. "Sasha looked like she would hunt me down if I didn't return you," he said.

"I'll call her. Come on, let's go."

"Where are you going?" Maggie asked, hanging up the phone and coming to stand beside them.

"Rick's going to take me swimming," Michonne said. Maggie gave her a curious look but she kept her eyes on Rick. "Go get changed and meet me back here, okay?"

Rick looked over his shoulder at his hotel two buildings away, then back at Michonne. She had grabbed Maggie's hand, starting in toward the door.

"I'll meet you in the lobby," he said. "Don't go anywhere by yourself."

"I won't," she said, a note of gravity mixing with her playfulness. "I promise."

"I'll be back in ten." He took off in a half jog toward his hotel.

…

Michonne quickly changed into her bathing suit, covering it with a v neck, graphic t shirt, and tossing her hair up in a bun, while Maggie lounged on the chair beside her.

"Be careful," Maggie said. "Stay in well lit areas."

"You do remember who you are taking to, right? What I do for a living?"

"Yes, of course. I just feel like a friend should say these things."

"Well, thanks," she said, as she tossed her cellphone and a towel into a bag. "And thanks for earlier. I'm having a good night."

"I'm glad," Maggie smiled. "Have fun. Be good!"

"Always am."

"Then maybe don't be good," Maggie called as the door shut between them.

Michonne grabbed the elevator, leaning against the back wall as she rode the many floors down to the lobby. Maggie's speech from earlier in the evening had been weighing on her as she spent the night talking with and touching Rick. She _had_ tried to find something wrong with him, maybe something big, just to prove to Maggie that she wasn't doing it on purpose. The night wore on, however, and his presence started to feel comfortable, safe. The opposite of how she usually felt around men with their roaming eyes and transparent agendas. Men like Shane. She had pegged his friend almost immediately, but the contrast between them was glaring. Rick seemed content just to be in her orbit. His eyes did roam, she mused with a small smile, but he looked at her with appreciation, not opportunity. Maybe that's what Maggie was talking about.

She hopped off the elevator and into the brightly lit lobby, taking a seat in one of the over stuffed chairs by the front door. Not spotting Rick yet, she used the time to send Sasha a quick text letting her know where she would be, and immediately received an inappropriate emoji in response, along with a confession that Maggie had already called her.

The front door pushed open in a rush of warm air that charged against the air conditioned room and Rick breezed in behind it, wearing a sweatshirt unzipped, and the same bright bathing suit as earlier that day. She tossed her phone in her bag and regarded his bare chest and casual bow legged walk, this time not denying the flutter in her belly.

"Were you waiting long?" he asked, looking as if he might have run there.

"Nope. Right on time." She hooked her arm through his again, enjoying the feel of his round bicep in her hand, and they headed outside and around the building, arriving on the sand almost immediately.

The beach wasn't deserted, but the few people who roamed it at this hour were enjoying the waves from afar, no one daring the water. A flash of light lit up the distant horizon, flickering wildly across the clouds and startling her, before quickly handing the sky back over to the night.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she said, all of a sudden tentative about exploring the large body of water that had magically evolved into a dark and brooding force under the cover of night.

"It's just heat lightning," he said. "It's still far away." He had a confidence in his estimation that she assumed came from living in the country, under undiluted night skies and open fields where people could really feel nature. It fit him to know that, she thought.

She accepted his assurance and they continued down to the edge of the water, dropping her t shirt and his sweatshirt on the sand along the way. The lazy advance of the tide began to reach her toes and she turned to him with an anticipative look. "Ready?"

"I am if you are," he replied, sounding as if they were talking about something other than swimming.

Making the decision that she was, whatever the proposition, she grabbed his hand and waded in, letting the water splash her thighs. "It's warm," she commented, running the fingers of her free hand through the now glassy surface. She could feel his eyes on her and she released his hand, continuing her walk until she was waist deep in the opaque pool. Leaning backwards into the water, arms outstretched to keep afloat, she smiled brightly at her own bravery.

Rick followed in after her, her contented expression like a beacon drawing him out to touch her again. He recaptured her hand, pulling her up against his chest in one motion.

"Would it be ok if I made good on that promise now?" he asked, tipping her chin up with his fingertips and reminding her that they'd already agreed on how they wanted this night to go.

She settled against him, studying the restraint on his face. He was giving her control with his question, and she desperately wanted to take it, but found her attempts defeated by the way the moonlight was cast across his strong jaw and soft eyes. All she could do was nod.

It was enough though. He softly cupped her cheek, fully aware of her vulnerability in the circumstance and the trust she was putting in him and careful to keep his touch light. His other hand wrapped around her waist in a loose hold, remaining innocuously on her hip as he pressed his lips to hers.

His kiss was gentle, his bottom lip settling contentedly between hers, and he sighed like he was coming to the end of a long journey. Lingering there, he silently asked for permission again, and she parted her lips to let him in, a jolt shooting through her core as their tongues met.

Cliche, she tried to tell herself, as she stood there tasting him, letting him hold her surrounded by the type of night that breathed like a romance novel. The girl falling for the handsome stranger, intoxicated by the breathtaking scenery and the vibe of a foreign place. The summer fling. She would have rolled her eyes at herself, but they were clamped shut in reverence to what he was now doing with his tongue.

His grip on her tightened as she let him in further and his hands began to explore the planes of her bare back, between the two islands of her bikini. She fought the urge, initially afraid of the intimacy of the gesture, but her hands finally made their way into his hair and he moaned against her mouth, lifting her onto her toes with his embrace.

Finally giving in to the need for air, he pulled away with a satisfied smile, still clutching her to him. She returned his grin then turned out toward the water, releasing herself from his gaze to search for some composure.

"Now that that's out of the way…" he said softly, coming to stand behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Another flash exploded from behind the clouds, illuminating the endless expanse of ocean before them. "Let's sit," she said. She laced their fingers and led him out of the water, back to where they had carelessly tossed their things. She put her t shirt back on over her now wet bathing suit and he helped her lay out the towel she had packed.

Rick sat down first, setting his bent knees wide enough for her to settle between his legs. She took the spot, his chest coming flush with her back again as a low rumbling, almost imperceptible behind the splash of the sea meeting the sand, coincided with another flash. "There's the thunder," he said.

She nodded, chuckling a little under her breath. Every syllable he spoke in that twang he had, sounded like it was being plucked on a guitar. She found it incredibly sexy, and also a little amusing.

"What?" he asked, his words unmistakably framed by a grin.

"Nothing. I just like the way you say thunder." She tried to imitate the inflection, but failed.

He laughed again, his chest vibrating against her. "You like making fun of my accent, huh? Where's yours Ms. Atlanta?" He playfully poked her in the side as she giggled.

"I went away for awhile," she said as her laughter subsided. "I lost it, along with a few other things."

"This is away for me," he confessed.

"You're still in Georgia," she said with a small smile, and he chuckled at the observation. "My ex never wanted to leave here," she continued. "I asked him to come with me when I left. He said no and that was that. I saw him a few months ago at my thirtieth birthday party. Thought maybe after all this time we could reconnect. Like you said, things look different in your thirties...but I had changed and he hadn't and that was that again."

Rick was quiet for a little while, seemingly chewing on her words. His silence had her wondering if she'd picked the wrong subject. He said he wanted her to tell him her stories, but maybe this wasn't one he wanted to hear. Finally, he leaned forward, draping his arms around her waist. "I don't know the guy," he said, "So, I can't speak for him...but I have a feeling if you asked me to go somewhere with you, anywhere...I would."

Michonne looked over her shoulder to see him staring out at the water, head tipped in thought and again she was struck by the way all of his words seemed bathed in an aura of truth.

She pulled up to her knees, breaking his embrace, and turned toward him slowly. His eyes met hers, and he looked at her expectantly as she came to kneel between his open legs. This time she found the strength to direct the moment, taking his face between her hands, his stubble tickling her palms as he nuzzled against them. She skipped past all of the permissions and pauses of before and kissed him as if she had done it a hundred times.

Welcoming her tongue back with a new fervor, his hands gripped her hips, lifting them so their legs could trade positions and she could sink down closer, straddling his lap. It was impossible to tell if the air was charged with the incoming storm or the electricity between them, but her skin tingled all over.

The warmth of his chest caressed the front of her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She released his lips, arching her neck to offer him a new place to explore and he accepted the invitation, landing beneath her ear and alternating between drawing her soft flesh between his teeth, and pressing his lips along the rigid line of her jaw. The opposing sensations, rough then soft, had her imagining all of the ways she could possibly have him.

He seemed satisfied that they were on the same page now and his touch became greedier, breaking through the boundaries he had set for himself. She felt his hands travel past her hips to palm her ass with two indulgent hands, his needy grasp causing her to pull in a sharp breath.

Her head snapped back up to look at him. His fully bloomed pupils had turned his blue eyes almost black, like the night had darkened the sea, and she was equally as mesmerized by the change. Glancing around the sand and taking in their relative seclusion from the handful of people left on the beach, she lifted the hem of her t shirt, slowly pulling it over her head.

Before she had even tossed it aside, Rick's mouth found the smooth, taut skin of her stomach, tasting the salt left behind by the ocean with a languid stroke of his tongue. She finally freed herself from the garment and he pulled her to his chest, taking her with him as he collapsed onto the sand. She kissed him again and he let her rest on top of him for a bit, before he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her and setting her on her back. Aware of the strength he was exerting over her smaller frame, he paused, dipping his head to meet her gaze. "You ok?" he rasped, his breath coming in shallow spurts.

"I'm ok." She gripped his hair tightly and pulled him back down to her mouth to punctuate her point.

Michonne could feel his excitement hardening between them, as he hooked one arm under her knee, pressing his hips into her. She returned the pressure, slipping her hand between them and fingering the drawstring on his bathing suit, slowly tugging at one end until she felt the knot give way. Moaning at her advances, he pushed a hand up her stomach to find her breast, squeezing gently and running his thumb across her pebbled nipple, almost obscured by the thick ruching of her top.

Not wanting his hands to have all the fun, he pulled away from their kiss to find the valley of her breasts with his mouth, his tongue stroking and dipping into the crease there in a display of talent that had her shuddering beneath him at the implications.

He worked his way down to her stomach, leaving a trail of hot kisses on her skin. Her muscles flexed as he moved around her belly button with the same tantalizing motion, his fingers toying with the waistband of her bottoms, teasing her by slipping in and out of them with his thumb as he ran along the band. His other hand was still massaging her top, and she let herself get lost in the slow path he was meandering, her eyes rolling back in anticipation as his mouth bounced around her tummy and her sides.

The sand started to feel cooler around her and she was aware of the sensation of new moisture mixing with the wet marks he had left on her skin, but she pushed it out of her mind when he finally broke the barrier of her suit.

Rick slowly pushed his fingers past the fabric, traveling the line of her hip bone, and she drew in a hopeful breath, waiting for what came next, when he suddenly paused as if startled by something. She almost whined at the interruption until she felt it, too: big, wet splashes on her shoulders, then her forehead. Rick stopped all of his ministrations, lifting his face to the sky. "Shit," he cursed, looking torn.

She saw another flash in the sky, this time shedding unwanted light on their hidden corner of the beach. He let out a small growl, then looked back at her with palpable exasperation. The rain was pelting his back, the drops coming quick and hard now and he sat back on his knees, pulling her up with him. He used the hand he had just been caressing her with, to wipe a drop from her forehead. "Looks like the storm caught up with us," he said as the thunder returned, sharper than a rumble.

She looked upward too, hoping they were somehow both imagining it, but the sky had opened, pouring disappointment onto them. "Let's go to your room," she whispered.

He tilted his head in response, searching her eyes for an assurance of clarity. The water and the hardness of his body had sobered her of the alcohol she had consumed. Now she was only drunk on the night, her inhibitions swept away by his touch. Her mind had never been more clear.

You sure?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm getting soaked." She kissed him again, feeling precipitation pool on his swollen upper lip.

He pulled back again, still looking for any sign that he shouldn't take her up on the offer.

"Rick, you said if I asked you to go somewhere, you would. Now, take me to your room."

He didn't need any more convincing. He reached for his sweatshirt, left crumpled in a pile on the sand and draped it over her shoulders, then quickly gathered the rest of their things. "Come on, then."

…

The elevator ride was torture. Michonne stood in front of him, pressed into his body to accommodate for a group of drunken guests who, despite the late hour, were traveling between floors and trying to make conversation. He was thankful for her position obscuring the obvious signs of his intentions, but her proximity made it all the more difficult to contain.

They finally made it to his floor, stepping out and barely waiting for the door to close before hungrily resuming their kiss. He guided her as they walked blindly down the deserted hallway, clutching at each other the whole way. When they reached his door, Rick pressed her against it, pinning her there with one hand above her head as he reached into the pocket of the sweatshirt he had lent her to find his wallet. He pulled it out then captured her mouth again, as he felt around for his key card. Finally finding it, he broke away briefly, letting his eyes travel the length of her, as he envisioned what he wanted to do when he got her out of that wet bathing suit. The thought reminding him of Shane's crass comments from earlier, he was suddenly struck with the urge to make sure she knew that wasn't what she was getting.

"I don't do this," he said, running the card through the slot until he heard the quick little beep and click of it unlocking. He kept his eyes on hers while he pushed the door open. "I mean, this isn't a habit for me."

"That's for damn sure." The voice startled him and he quickly pulled Michonne behind him, as she let out a small gasp. Shane appeared from behind the door, holding a freshly poured drink and looking utterly amused.

Michonne couldn't help but shake her head at the continued interference, feeling slightly vindicated in the fact that the evening wasn't turning out to be a complete fairy tale. She could see Rick was having a harder time accepting their misfortune though, and she placed a hand on his back, lightly rubbing at the tension there.

"Do you two know what time it is?" Abe lectured from one of the couches, shaking his head in mock admonishment.

"Not last call yet," Rick ground out, trying to mask his irritation at their unexpected appearance. "Not like you guys to call it an early night."

"Sorry, Brother," Shane chuckled, the girls wanted to go home and Abe offered us up as escorts. It was closer to just come back here and drink our own shit." He gestured to the bottle of scotch on the coffee table, surrounded by rows of cards that looked like they belonged to a game.

"You want us to deal you two in?" Abe smirked.

"What are you playing?" Michonne asked, trying her best to assuage the awkward situation. She ran a hand along Rick's arm as she entered the room and took a seat across from Abe.

"I'm going to change," Rick said, realizing the physical signs of his plan were probably still evident. He pinched the bridge of his nose and headed toward his room. "You want some clothes, Michonne?"

"Sure," she answered, suddenly aware that her suit was still wet.

When he returned a few moments later, having swapped his bathing suit for a pair of jeans and a blue t shirt with the Sheriff's Department emblem printed on the upper chest, Michonne was sitting cross legged on the edge of the couch, dealing out a round of cards. He handed her a pair of cotton pajama pants that he hoped she would be able to roll into a comfortable fit and took the seat next to her where she had been collecting a hand for him.

Michonne thanked him, the grin on her face proving she was taking this turn of events in stride and he sighed, thankful that she was at least going to stay and let him spend a little more time with her, even if the agenda had changed.

Shane pointed her in the direction of the bathroom and as soon as she shut the door he broke into a laugh, crossing the room and grabbing a hold of Rick's shoulders, giving them a hard shake. "Man, I did not think you had it in you. I'm being serious, here. When you two didn't come back I figured you were off eating ice cream and holding hands or some other benign shit. But, you were 'bout to lay it on that girl."

"Knock it off, Shane," Rick snarled. "I'm not kidding around. Watch your mouth around her."

Shane held up his hands in mock surrender, still laughing as he took a seat in the chair beside them. "A'ight, look I'm sorry, I really am. If we had known we would have found another place to be, right Abe?"

"Absolutely. Cock blocking was not part of our plan, buddy," Abe agreed, tapping his cards on the table.

"It's fine. Just don't be an asshole." Rick's warning was cut short when Michonne appeared from the bathroom. His pants were rolled low on her hips, the legs cuffed into an acceptable length. She had her bikini bottoms in her hand and the thought of the thin fabric being the only thing that separated him from where he was supposed to be right now, had him squirming in his seat. She tossed the suit in the bag she had brought and sauntered back to him, reclaiming the spot beside him and testing his resolve not to kick his friends outside in the rain and carry her back to his bed.

"Tell me the rules," she said to Abe as they all took ahold of their cards. Rick listened halfheartedly to the instructions, having watched him and Shane play this game before, but his concentration was elsewhere. Michonne still wore the top to her bathing suit and his sweatshirt hung oversized and open on her, leaving her tight stomach exposed. Despite the lecture he had just given Shane, he couldn't help but allow his eyes an impolite jaunt across her body, conjuring the taste of her skin on his tongue as he roamed.

He came back to the moment at hand when he noticed Abe pouring her a double shot of scotch. "You want something else to play with?"

"No, this is fine," she said with a confident smile that made him believe she could probably handle it as well as the rest of them.

They played a few hands of Abe's game, Rick's lack of focus evident as he was knocked out almost immediately each time. Michonne put both of the other men to shame, but even with her winning streak, the strong drink was getting to her and Rick watched as her lids became heavier and she sank further into the couch beside him.

"Grimes, you've earned the couch tonight," Abe said, throwing down his cards after his final loss. "Thanks for bringing your girl over here to hustle us." He tossed a throw pillow at Rick's head and stumbled his way into the bedroom to take the bed opposite where Shane had already disappeared to after the last round.

"I should walk you home before your friends worry," he whispered once they were alone. He regretted it as soon as he said it, not wanting to lose her company.

"Wait till the storm lets up a little," she said glancing out the sliding glass door at the rain, still coming down in sheets onto the balcony. She sunk down beside him, swiping the pillow that Abe had thrown and putting it beneath her head in his lap.

Rick wasn't about to argue, feeling grounded to the spot by her warm body snuggled against him. "I'm sorry about how this turned out," he said softly, staring down at the side of her face.

"It's ok," she yawned. "I'm still glad I'm here."

"Me too." He adjusted his position, leaning into the corner of the couch and resting his arm around her. He felt her body begin to go lax almost immediately. "Michonne," he whispered, squeezing her shoulder gently. "You should call Sasha, let her know you're staying here."

She didn't stir, and he considered just shutting off the light and falling asleep beside her, but the thought of getting on Sasha's bad side didn't appeal to him. He reached over her, plucking her phone from the coffee table and scrolled through her contacts until he finally found Sasha's number to send her a text.

 _Hey, it's Rick. Michonne is safe, she just fell asleep here. I'll walk her back in the morning._

Barely a moment went by before a response came through from her vigilant friend.

 _Send me a picture so I know she's safe._

Rick laughed at the request, but quickly found the camera on her phone and did as she asked. He adjusted the sweatshirt she was wearing to cover her midriff for good measure, then held out his hand to snap a photo of her peacefully sleeping in his lap

 _Don't get me in trouble for sending you this._ He typed, attaching the picture.

 _You're in so much trouble...just kidding, thanks for taking care of her._

 _You're welcome._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- Gimme Just a Little More Time**

A/N To the guest who said they were wondering when Rick got his credit card from the bar, I cracked up reading that. I actually wrote that in a scene I ended up deleting and then forgot to put it somewhere else. I was really mad about it when I posted it, but I told myself no one else would notice that. I'm glad you did, very responsible of you. Remind me to hang with you at the bar lol. We'll just say it happened during that ellipsis, but don't worry, he got it. :)

There's one more chapter after this everyone. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

XXXXXX

The early morning light streamed unfiltered into the quiet room, slowly rousing Michonne from the few hours of sleep she had managed. She was curled into a ball against Rick, his hand resting casually on her hip, and the warm wall of his abs greeting her as she opened her eyes from her spot in his lap. She watched his stomach rise and fall with short breaths as her eyes began to focus, corresponding puffs of air falling from his lips while he slept.

The pillow she had been using had fallen to the floor and Michonne realized she was resting her face directly on Rick's crotch in all its morning glory. "Jesus," she whispered, trying to decipher the mixed messages the universe was trying to send her. First the night had forced an end to their attempt to have each other and now she was waking up conveniently face to face with exactly what she had been denied.

She slowly lifted her head, praying she didn't have an imprint from his tight jeans plastered across her cheek, and tried to wiggle out of his embrace without waking him. His eyes fluttered open at the loss of her heat and a lazy grin spread across his face, reminding her of the sexy, morning-after fantasy she had conjured the day before. His hair wasn't quite as disheveled as she had decided it would be, and he was wearing more clothes, but other than that she had imagined it well.

"Mornin'," he whispered, sitting up slightly from his slouched position. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," she replied. "I'll be right back."

She tiptoed across the room, hoping to avoid waking his two friends, and shut the bathroom door behind her. She heard Rick walking around in the kitchen on the opposite wall, opening and closing the refrigerator, and she went to work wiping away the makeup that had shifted out of place on her face, and splashing some water on her tired eyes.

She spotted a small travel case on the shelf and took a quick peek inside, inwardly cheering when she spotted a bottle of mouthwash. She quickly swished it around in her mouth, spitting and rinsing as quietly as she could, then pulled her hair out of the bun she had slept in, letting her locks fall around her face. Rick's sweatshirt was still hanging off of her shoulders and she played with the zipper for a few moments, trying to decide exactly how much skin she wanted to be showing when she walked back out. Settling for zipped to just below her breasts, she took one more breath and waltzed back out to where he was.

Rick was leaning casually against the counter when she emerged, holding a bottled water and a box of the same crackers Abe had given Maggie on the beach. "We don't have much in the room for food," he said, handing her the water. "Unless you want a beer or some pizza that's been out all night."

"You guys are living like a bunch of frat boys over here," she joked, snatching the cracker box from him and stealing a few to ward off any repercussions from their late night drinking game.

"I suppose you ladies wake up to a fully stocked kitchenette with mimosas and croissants every morning." He gave her a playful smile and watched as she went back for more crackers.

"Something like that," she said with a wink.

He took a few steps toward her, his hand finding the spot on her hip he was beginning to get used to, and dropped his face to her cheek, giving her a chaste kiss that was suffused with self restraint. It was obvious he was unsure if the liberties she had granted him the previous night stood up in the daytime, and she couldn't help but smile at his impeccable manners. She had crossed that bridge in her own mind already though, having fully intended to continue what they started had they not been interrupted. It took a lot for her to get there and she saw no need to start all over. She covered his hand with hers, moving it around to her backside and grasped his face, pulling him back in for a more intimate greeting.

When she pulled away, she spied relief behind his intense gaze and she felt him relax in her arms. "Let's go then," he said. "I'll get you a fancy breakfast somewhere."

"I'm wearing your pajamas and a bikini top," she laughed. "I'm not dressed for a fancy breakfast."

"Then I'll get you a bagel and some shitty coffee on the beach." He reached up to brush her hair out of her face, smiling at her hopefully.

"I can't," she sighed. "I'm already going to be in big trouble for not coming back last night. They all know I would kick their ass if any of them did that." She cringed slightly at the earful she was going to get from Sasha, and rightly so.

Rick let go of her, giving her room to drink the water she was still holding. "I texted Sasha last night when you fell asleep. I hope you don't mind, I just didn't want them to worry."

"You did?" she asked, thankful that his thoughtfulness was going to save her from her friend's wrath. "I guess I should have known since there doesn't seem to be an all points bulletin out for me right now.

He chuckled at her joke, deciding he should fess up about the evidence he had to send. "She asked for a picture," he smirked. "I guess she wanted to make sure I wasn't lying about you being safe. Sorry. It's a nice one...you looked good."

Michonne shook her head, turning to retrieve her phone from the coffee table behind them and locating the picture. "She is a piece of work," she said as she read through their text exchange. "But she's right, thanks for letting me stay and, you know, not murdering me."

"You're welcome," he laughed.

"I really do have to go, though," she said, joining him again and grabbing his hand in hers. "I wish I didn't, but we have plans today."

He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. "Ok, give me a minute to try to get my boots without waking these guys up, and I'll walk you back." He slipped away and crept through the door to the bedroom where his friends were asleep and Michonne picked up her bag, waiting for him by the door. When he came back he was wearing a baseball cap and his cowboy boots, and looking entirely adorable, she thought.

"Ready?" he asked as he opened the door. She nodded, taking the hand he offered and following him out.

...

The air had a slight chill to it from the pressure change that the rain had carried in and the street was deserted, leaving a peaceful quiet where all the revelry had happened a few hours ago. The sun rise was a ball of fire with magenta wisps slashing across a grey sky, and the familiar scent of the approaching tide hung on the droplets of moisture still lingering in the air.

"Where are you headed today?" he asked, eyeing the horizon through the breaks between the buildings. "Looks like it may not be a great day."

Smiling at his second weather prediction based on the sky, she looked out to the water to see the warning clouds gathering around the pink and red. "We're taking a harbor cruise. Seafood, drinks, sightseeing," she said.

Nodding, he slowed to a stop as they reached the door to her hotel lobby. "I don't want to be greedy with your time," he said. "Maggie said you had a full day, and I know you're here to celebrate with her, but if there's any chance of seeing you later, just tell me and I'll be there."

Michonne stepped toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Well, I still have your clothes," she said with a grin. "We'll be home this evening for a little while before our dinner reservations. Come by then and you can pick them up."

"I will," he replied, bringing a hand to her neck and caressing her cheek with his thumb as he kissed her goodbye.

He finally released her, and she turned reluctantly to go. "I'll see you later."

…

Michonne opened the door to her suite, careful to make no more noise than necessary, and crept into the dark room. The shades were pulled and the weak light of the early hour couldn't breach them, forcing her to feel her way into the bedroom she was sharing with Andrea. She slipped off her bikini top, which was beginning to chafe at her skin, and replaced it with a t shirt before putting Rick's sweatshirt back on.

She found her bed silently, climbing under her covers for one more hour of sleep before Sasha would have them up and running on her schedule. Sighing at the comfortable cradle of her pillow, though much less enticing than Rick's lap, she closed her eyes and prepared to drift off when she heard Andrea roll over on the bed beside hers.

"I don't think so," she snickered, flipping on the lamp by her bed, and forcing Michonne to cover her eyes. She looked her up and down, taking in all the details of her arrival. "You think you're going to walk in here at 6am wearing that man's clothes and go to sleep? Get up and start talking."

Michonne let out a long groan and sat herself up in bed, realizing she was done with sleep and conjuring the version of events she was going to tell.

…

"Well this is a bust," Andrea sighed, as she watched the once annoying drizzle turn into an extremely inconvenient, hard rain.

"It's not that bad," Sasha said. "We still have wine."

"Good thing for that and this canopy," Maggie gestured above them to the small overhang that was keeping them somewhat dry. "I don't think we're going to see many sights on this cruise, though."

A thick fog surrounded them as the boat made it out past the harbor, and most of the passengers had settled for the alcohol being the only attraction they were going to be able to enjoy. Michonne looked out toward the almost invisible water, the quickening rain drops bringing a smile to her face. She had cursed it the night before but, looking back, the storm did sort of add a romantic hue to her memories of the evening.

"Somebody is happy today," Sasha noted, casting a mischievous look at Michonne over her plastic cup of wine.

"Come on, Michonne," Andrea whined. "We're stuck on this boat in the middle of a rainstorm and we need to talk about something, so entertain us. Tell us where you were all night."

"You know where I was, and I told you the truth this morning. I fell asleep. That's it."

"You conveniently left a few things out. How did you end up there and why were you wearing his clothes?"

Michonne leaned back in her chair and sipped her wine through a wide grin, replaying the answers to all of Andrea's questions.

"You've got it bad!" Sasha exclaimed, slapping a hand to her thigh and doing a little jump in her seat. "Look at your face right now. Y'all see her face right now?"

"Mmm hmm," Maggie agreed. "I see it."

"You totally slept with him. You're a liar." Andrea finished her drink in one gulp and pounded her fist on the table. "Tell us right now!"

"I did not!" Michonne exclaimed. She knew her defense lacked luster since she was omitting the very important fact that she had intended to do just that. "Look, I don't know what I'm doing, one minute we're talking about Mike, the next minute I'm asking Rick to take me to his room. I mean...he's sweet and really, really good looking," she sighed, as her friends nodded and chimed their agreement. "But this is silly. I'm being ridiculous, swooning over this man I barely know. It could never work after this. He lives almost an hour away and I barely have time to sleep, let alone try to add a long distance relationship into the mix. It's this place, it's making me forget about how things work when you're not sipping cocktails on the beach, when you're back in the real world. I just…"

She looked up, exhausted from her soliloquy, to see the three staring at her, Andrea rolling her eyes, Sasha shaking her head and Maggie giving her that pitiful look she had come to know all too often. She sighed audibly and took a long pull of her drink. "Ok," she admitted. "I have it bad."

"Michonne, wanting something more in your life isn't silly," Maggie said. "You think you have to choose between your independence and having someone because Mike made you choose, but it's not always going to be like that. Trust your gut."

She looked around the table at her friends, remembering how she felt standing on that beach, wrapped up in Rick's arms, like she had found something she hadn't even realized she was missing. It felt right then, and if she was honest with herself, it felt right now. On this dreary, disappointing, ordinary day, that felt far more like reality than the magical paradise they had been frolicking in for the past few days, it still felt right.

"I was trusting my gut last night," she offered, her eyes cast down at the table between them.

"I knew it!" Andrea yelled.

"I didn't!" she laughed. "...but I was going to."

…

"Damn it! Get your glove on it!" Shane exclaimed as Abe chuckled beside him. Abe was a transplant to their state, carrying his Houston allegiance with him throughout all sports seasons so he showed his no pity. "Talk about an error. He shoulda had that!" Shane was yelling at the television above the bar, but turned to Rick when he didn't get a response. "You see that shit, Rick?"

Rick looked up from his phone at the mention of his name, but had no reply since he had not seen the play.

"You still pissed about last night, man? We said we were sorry."

"I'm not pissed," Rick said, trying to get a feel for what he missed from the box scores on the screen. He was in the middle of typing a text to Michonne, debating whether to send it, when Shane interrupted. He didn't want to intrude on her afternoon with her friends, but he figured she could just ignore it if she was busy, so he glanced down at his phone again and hit send.

" _How's the cruise?"_

She answered almost immediately, putting a grin on his face. " _Rainy, just like you predicted. What are you doing?"_

He took a satisfied sip of his beer before keying a response. " _Watching the Braves game at a bar. What time should I come by later?"_

" _I'll be back by 4, dinner reservations at 6."_

" _I'll see you in a few hours then."_

Rick set his phone on the table, turning his attention back to Shane and Abe, but he had been occupied too long. They were both staring at him.

"What are you doing, man?" Shane chuckled, gesturing to the blinking light on his phone, indicating he had a message.

"What?" Rick asked, retrieving it to read Michonne's response.

" _Looking forward to it."_

Rick grinned wider, stuffing the phone in his pocket.

"You like this girl, Richard?" Abe asked, folding his arms across his barrel chest and giving him a mocking paternal look.

"I wouldn't be hanging out with her if I didn't"

"No, you wouldn't man. That's true," Shane agreed with a smile. "You're not the 'get some on vacation' type. You gotta fall in love."

"Alright," Rick said dismissively, as Abe patted his shoulder.

"Naw, it's good. Seriously. Been awhile since Lori, man. It's about time you got some, or fell in love, or whatever you wanna do." Shane took a sip of his beer and averted his eyes back to the game, a clear indication he was serious about what he was saying.

"I'm not in love," Rick said, half to himself.

"No, but she's gonna be once she gets some of that Rick Grimes d…"

"Okay!" Abe interrupted, clearing his throat and resuming his familiar position of referee. "Let's order some food, huh?"

…

The evening walk to Michonne's room looked strikingly similar to their morning stroll. The rain was burning off just in time for nightfall and, though sunset was a few hours away, the sky was red and raw as if it had been shedding tears instead of rain all day. Rick had his hands stuffed in his pockets and his heart beat just a little faster as he approached the front door to her hotel. He'd been looking forward to seeing her again all day, but now he was struck by the creeping concern that this would be the last time. They were both taking off for home in the morning and the entire day had already passed them by separately.

Once inside, he chose the stairs to get his blood circulating and by the time he got to her floor, his heavy breaths were helping him get some oxygen back to his brain where it had been lacking. He leaned an arm casually on the wall and rapped his knuckles on the door to her suite. Andrea answered, forcing him to straighten a bit at the devilish smile she was giving him.

"Well, look who it is. My ex coming to see my best friend. How could you, Rick?" she feigned.

"Sorry, Andrea," he said, playing along and finding her game soothing to his anticipation. "You know I never meant for you to get hurt. Can we still be friends?"

She smiled at him, impressed at his quick response. "I'll think about it."

Rick chuckled as Maggie appeared and quickly shoved Andrea aside with her hip, welcoming him in. He stepped into the impressive accommodations, with two bedrooms and a large sitting area complete with a mini bar, and started to think he was right about the croissants in the morning.

Michonne came out of the bedroom on the right, as he was scoping the place out and gave him a delighted smile that worked to settle his last nerves.

"Hi," she said, her face like a guidepost beaming him to her. He quickly crossed the room coming to stand in front of her, his hands itching to touch her, but refraining due to their company.

"Hey."

Sasha emerged next, poking a dangly earring through her lobe and glancing back and forth between the two of them, lost in their greeting. "Hi Rick," she smirked.

He broke their trance, turning to greet her friend. "Hey Sasha."

"I heard you ratted yourself out about the sleeping picture you took of Michonne. Too bad, I was going to keep that secret for you, dude."

Rick laughed, finding Michonne's friends a lot more enjoyable than his own at the moment. "Compulsive honesty's always been a problem of mine." he smirked.

"Mmmhmm. Bodes well for you." She turned to Maggie and Andrea who were both dressed to go out and currently killing time relaxing on the couch with a couple more glasses of wine. "Let's hit the restaurant early," Sasha said. "Grab some drinks in the lounge."

Michonne raised an eyebrow at her. Having been the last one to shower, she had just finished getting dressed, and was not nearly ready.

"Not you," Sasha smiled at her. "You're taking too long. Rick, you'll walk her over once she's ready, won't you? It's just down the road."

"Of course," he replied, picking up Sasha's plan a few moments before Michonne. She was still scrunching her eyes at her friend, looking slightly irritated.

"Good. Michonne, we've got an hour. No rush." With that she ushered the other two women up from the couch, waiting long enough for them to finish gulping their drinks, then directing them out the door.

"So, um, I have your clothes," Michonne stuttered, once the door shut behind them. Finding herself alone with Rick in an instant, she struggled a bit at the way the pressure seemed to change in the room. She started toward her bedroom to retrieve his items and he followed for a few steps, then lingered in the doorway while she walked the rest of the way to the bed where they were neatly folded.

"Thanks. I didn't want to sleep in my jeans again tonight."

"Sorry about that."

"I'm kidding. I was really glad to wake up to you this morning."

Michonne returned to him, their hands grazing as she handed over his things. "Me too."

"So, does your full schedule extend into the night? I mean after your dinner reservation...in an hour." Rick found her waist with his hand, slowly circling her skin with his thumb as he continued to lean casually against the door frame.

"We have tickets to a show," she said, feeling jittery under his intense stare. "What are you going to do?"

"Same as the last couple nights probably."

"Bring a girl down to the beach and fool around?" she said with a playful smirk, her voice dropping a couple notches in volume.

"No," he smiled. "Not that. Unless you wanna make plans for when you get done."

"It will be late...and we have to leave early in the morning." She took another half step closer pressing a palm against his chest and looking up at him.

"Don't go without seeing me." He matched her near whisper and tightened his grip. "Text me in the morning. I'll meet you."

"I will. I promise." Her lips parted involuntarily and before she knew it, he had crashed into her mouth. Dropping the clothes he was holding, he found the nape of her neck, massaging with enough pressure to hold her tightly against him. She leaned into his suffocating embrace, clutching at his t shirt and finding it impossible to get close enough.

"Michonne," he uttered into her mouth, unable to finish the thought as he spun them around and pressed her up against the wall. He grabbed the fabric of her floor length, cotton skirt, gathering it in greedy fists and bunching it at her waist. All of the buildup and anticipation of the night before had him desperate to get back to where they left off.

She felt it too, like they were on the last leg of a trip they had started long ago and were propelled by the close proximity of their destination. He pulled away and she watched him run his tongue along his lip as he surveyed her black satin panties that still stood between them. "Can I?" he whispered, his eyes darting to hers for confirmation. His fingers grazed the inside of her thigh, waiting patiently until he had her answer.

Without a thought, she nodded and he pushed her panties to the side, his mouth reclaiming hers. Her body weakened at the sensation of his hands on her, her shoulders sliding down the wall and her hips tilting against his palm. She felt herself melting into him, strangely comfortable with abdicating control. She was tired of always trying to decide what was right; she wanted to just feel for once and everything she was feeling told her to trust Rick and go wherever he took her. He caught her under the arm, pressing his chest against her to pin her in place, while he surveyed her neck with his lips.

Fighting her way back from her temporary collapse, she snaked her hands between them and began unbuckling his belt, making quick work of it before moving on to the button and zipper on his jeans. When she had opened the gate, she felt him draw in a breath of anticipation, letting it out in a low growl, as her hands found him.

Michonne gestured with her chin and Rick glanced over his shoulder at the bed that they were ignoring in favor of the hard wall. He withdrew from her reluctantly, using both arms to hoist her up and carry her across the small room. She giggled as they tumbled onto the bed, the noise sounding foreign in her mouth. She sounded like a schoolgirl, but she didn't care. She _felt_ like giggling, she felt like screaming his name. She was screaming it right now in her head, but it was coming out as more of a whimper.

The both discarded their shirts, barely getting them off before she pulled him down to her again, furiously reclaiming his mouth and her hand's previous occupation.

"I don't have anything with me," he said through hisses of pleasure.

She pulled away from their kiss briefly to catch his eyes. "It's ok, I've been on the pill since I was nineteen."

"I'm...I haven't been with anyone since my wife."

"I trust you."

"You can."

"I know."

With that he sat up and hooked his thumbs into the wide waistband of her skirt and panties, swiping them down over her hips and watching with a grin as she kicked them off of her feet.

"Your turn," she smirked, pulling him back to her and forcing him to slither awkwardly out of his jeans with one hand, while maintaining their furious kiss.

When they were finally pressed against each other's bare skin, he took her face in one hand, the other trapped between them, and eased their fevered pace to a slow crawl.

"Tell me what you want, Michonne," he whispered, locking her in place with his deliberate ministrations. "I don't know you well enough to know yet, but I want to." He kissed her again with the same unhurried tempo.

"This," she said, her voice hoarse with pleasure. "I want this."

He peppered her face with his lips, stopping every few minutes to watch her mouth as tiny cries escaped from her swollen lips. "I want to see you again after we leave this place."

She nodded in response, her eyes squeezed shut and her body frozen in place by the work he was doing with his hands.

"Say yes," he whispered, dropping his mouth to her ear. "Tell me I can see you again."

"Yes," she said, finally coming undone around his fingers. Her eyes rolled shut and her body shuddered underneath him as he studied her face, wanting to catch every second of her release.

He finally freed her from his hand, adjusting his position so he was hovering at her entrance, and brushed his lips across her cheek. He was beckoning her consciousness back to him and once she opened her eyes and met his gaze, he took ahold of her hip and pushed into her with one long stroke, a satisfied sigh escaping him and mixing with her pleasured gasp.

The sensation was overwhelming as she hadn't yet recovered from his previous work, and every thrust was an electric current that both pleased and shocked her. He moved slowly, propped on his arm above her, caressing her side while his mouth explored her skin with his tongue and teeth.

His attention returned to her face with a sweet smile, but she saw something glinting behind his blue, country boy eyes. Something more primal. She could tell that he was restraining a rougher touch and she wanted it.

Finding her strength again, she lifted her hips to meet his, coaxing him to go faster. Her fingers wrapped around his biceps, digging her nails into his skin as she used him for leverage to offer the resistance she knew he was craving.

He met her offer with a bruising grip on her thigh, pushing her bent leg toward her shoulder, and using his other hand to pull at the strap of her bra, the last piece of fabric remaining between them. He dropped his head to her now exposed chest, overcome with the feeling that being buried inside her was his reward for everything he'd ever done right in this life, and he finally let go.

Her name dripped from his mouth, punctuated with quiet expletives and sounding like a mixture of pain and prayer as he collapsed on top of her. Once she felt his body relax in her arms, she released him, moving her hands to his hair and toying softly with his curls as he huffed short, raspy breaths into her neck. He took a few moments to recover in her arms, then peeled himself from her, flopping exhaustedly on his back beside her. Feeling around the bed, he finally found her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and grazing her knuckles with his lips.

"Come 'ere," he said, tugging on her hand so she rolled toward him.

He tucked her under his arm and she peered up at him, her cheek on his chest, taking in the way his vivid features popped on his face in the receding light. His cobalt eyes, the dark, three day old stubble peppering the rose colored flush that had painted his neck, the hues all seemed intensified, as if she was suddenly seeing him in technicolor.

"Is this what you thought would happen when we met at that sketchy bar," she chuckled.

"No," he said with a lazy grin. "I was just hoping to get another slow dance. I'm glad it did happen though."

"Me too."

"How long do we have 'till I have to give you up?" he asked, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Can we stay here a little bit."

"A little while."

He nodded, satisfied. "I meant what I said. I want to keep seeing you."

She draped her arm over him, whispering into his chest. "I don't think I could say no if I wanted to, after that. You're very convincing."

"Good," he smiled. "I was tryin' to be."

…

The sun returned the next day, just in time to bid adieu to the weekend and usher in a day of driving the long road home.

Rick was throwing his clothes in his suitcase, while Shane and Abe worked to clear the remnants of their takeout dinner and beverages from the night before. He paused to check his phone again, anxiously waiting for a note from Michonne to let him know when she was heading out.

He re-read the text she sent the night before, or early that morning actually, by the time she returned home. He had been awake though, finding the ability to stay up with Shane and Abe bolstered by his desire to hear from her one more time before he fell asleep.

She told him she would meet him on the shore between their hotels in the morning, that she would message him when they were ready to check out. He was about to get back to his task, when the text finally came, and he quickly threw a hat on and headed for the door.

"I'll be back in a few," he called to Shane, who returned with a smart comment Rick didn't bother hearing.

He spotted her instantly when he got to the beach. She was one of only a few people by the water at the moment, but beyond that, her shimmering brown skin and long locs lifting in the breeze, were already as familiar to him as the back of his hand, having spent three days now memorizing her.

"Michonne," he called, from a few yards away. She turned at the sound of her name, looking over her shoulder at him. The sun gleaming from the water lit up her face in a way that rivaled the all the other beauty that surrounded them. He closed the remaining distance, lacing their fingers as soon as he made it to her side, and settled chest to chest.

To his delight, she returned his affection, melting into him with no trace of the stiffness she had maintained just a couple of days prior.

"So this is it," she said.

"Not as far as I'm concerned."

"I mean this place. This trip," she said, turning her head and resting it on his shoulder to gaze out toward the sea. "I wish we could stay here longer."

"The summer's almost over. Few weeks, this place will be a ghost town." He dropped her hand, wrapping both arms around her waist. "But, nights like you and me had on this beach, in this place...we can have more anytime you want."

She brought her eyes back to his, squinting under the bright light. "Tell me this isn't crazy."

"People meet each other all sorts of ways. Why would this be crazy?"

"It's just...I feel like I know you in ways I shouldn't after only three days."

He pulled in a deep breath, blowing it out with a push of his chest against hers. "Yeah," he drawled. "I feel like that too, and that part might be crazy, but if anything it's a sign we should spend more time together, figure out what it means."

"It's going to be hard to make it work. With the distance, our jobs."

"Everything's harder than being on vacation," he chuckled quietly. "But we do it anyway. I'm not afraid of a little work."

"Me either."

"Can I call you tonight? When we're both home?"

"Yes," she nodded, leaning against him again. "And then we'll figure out the rest."

"I hate to admit it, but Shane was right. This vacation was a good idea."

She smiled at him, tipping her head up expectantly, and he kissed her. It had all the makings of a goodbye kiss: the early morning hour, the clinging embrace and the reluctant release, but he knew it wasn't. It was a welcome kiss, greeting whatever came next.


	5. Epilogue

**A/N It's pouring rain here today, so I decided to let my kids watch a movie and finish this story. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I love you all.**

 **XXXX**

 **Epilogue - From This Moment On**

"How do I look? Everything in place?" Michonne smoothed her hands over the plum colored, knee length, satin dress, checking for wrinkles.

"You're good," Rick answered, tucking his shirt back into his pants and zipping his fly. He walked up behind her as she adjusted the flower that was pinned in her hair and did one last check of her makeup in the mirror. "You're a bad influence," he smiled, pressing his lips to her bare shoulder then running a hand through his own tousled hair.

"Me?" she exclaimed. "What about you showing up here looking like that?" she turned to face him and ran a finger along the buttons of his dress shirt. "You know I didn't get to see you last weekend."

"True, but we have a hotel room we coulda used instead of this bathroom stall," he laughed, tickling her side playfully.

She giggled in response, louder than she had meant to, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "No time. I have to get back out there. You going to be ok till I get done with pictures and all that?"

"I'll be fine," he said. "Do your thing. I'm gonna get a drink. I need to start now if you're gonna make me dance at this thing."

"Oh you know I am, cowboy." She grabbed the handle of the door, slowly turning it and peeking her head out into the hallway to check for anyone who might catch them. "Let's go," she said, spying a clear path. They slipped out of the room and Michonne pulled him in for one more kiss before leaving him to rejoin the group she was supposed to be with.

Rick headed in the opposite direction, rounding the corner toward the large banquet room where guests were starting to filter in. He didn't know Maggie that well, but from what he did know, the decor seemed fitting for her wedding day, a little country and a lot of class. He found his table number, stuffing the little card in the pocket of his trousers and headed toward where the beverages were being poured.

Ordering himself a strong drink, he leaned against the wooden bar and listened to the quiet, four piece band play instrumental versions of songs he vaguely recognized, as people found their seats for dinner.

"You got a little lipstick on your collar there." Another man had settled next to him and was eyeing him through long, dark hair that obscured his face.

Rick stood up straight, feeling his face flush and pulled at his suit coat to try to cover the stain. "Thanks."

"You're 'Chonnes boyfriend, right?"

"Yeah," Rick said, making the presumption that he could claim that title since they'd spent almost every weekend together in the two months since they met. He reached a hand out to the man. "Rick Grimes."

"Daryl Dixon," he replied with a shake.

"You know the bride or the groom?" Rick asked.

"Both of 'em. Glenn and I go back and he and Maggie been pretty much married for years. This is just so they can get the gifts."

Rick laughed at his joke, glad to have someone to make conversation with while he waited for Michonne. Daryl seemed like he'd be good entertainment.

"We're probably at the same table," Daryl said when the bartender handed him his drink. "My date is the caterer so I'm sure they put me with y'all." Rick held up his seating card and Daryl nodded. "Yup. Let's go see what poor schmuck Andrea brought to this thing."

Rick chuckled and followed him across the room.

…

Dinner and a few of the wedding reception traditions passed and Michonne was officially done with her bridesmaid duties for the remainder of the evening. She went to find Rick, hoping he was enjoying himself despite knowing no one there and she spotted him seated at the round, white clothed table. The knot of his tie was loosened in a comfortable, sexy way and a lopsided grin hung on his face, hinting of his time spent waiting for her under Daryl's influence.

"You two having a good time?" she smirked, as she approached him laughing at something Daryl was saying.

"Hey," Rick said, standing to greet her with a kiss. "We are. Daryl was just tellin' me some stories."

She gave her old friend a warning glance and he chuckled into his beer. "Only good ones," Daryl said in his defense.

"Mmmhmm. Where are Bob and...Philip?" she asked, looking for Sasha's boyfriend and struggling to remember the name of the date Andrea had chosen for the evening.

"They went back for seconds," Rick said, gesturing to the line at the cake table.

"Told Bob I'd buy him a couple drinks if he took on baby-sitting that dude," Daryl admitted. "Guy's too nice for his own good, he's been listening to Philip drone on about accounting for the last hour."

"Well, I'm going to steal my date back," Michonne said, turning toward Rick. "Time for you to make good on that promise to dance with me."

"It was less of a promise and more of an acceptance of my fate," he replied, draining the last of his drink as she tugged on his arm.

"Come on, I'll start you out with a slow song."

Daryl chuckled at the other man's misfortune before Michonne shot him a look. "Carol's almost done, so we'll see you out there in a bit," she taunted,effectively wiping the smile from his face.

Michonne lead him out to the center of the floor where a few other couples had already started to take advantage of the official start of the evening. He took her hand, letting his other fall to the small of her back and pulled her close, considering that this dance might make up for when the tempo picked up.

"You look gorgeous," he said into her ear as she pressed her cheek to his. "I've been watching you all night, waiting to get you back."

"Looks like you were well taken care of," she smiled observing the beginnings of a good buzz forming on his face.

"Let's go to the bar after this then, so you can catch up. I liked the way that champagne was affecting you earlier." His hand began to creep lower, sliding down the smooth satin of her dress to rest on her full behind.

She laughed at him, feeling a bit like they were at a middle school dance, but loving every minute of it. Dropping his hand so that she could drape both arms around his neck, she ran her fingers through his short curls. "You said I was a bad influence."

"I didn't say I didn't like it. I want to see what other crimes you can pressure me into committing tonight." He leaned in to kiss her, offering a chaste peck for now and saving the rest for when he could remove her from that dress.

"Hands on hips, Rick. Make some room for Jesus," Sasha laughed. She gestured to the lack of space between them as Bob twirled her over beside them.

"She went to parochial school," Michonne explained. "And she thinks she's funny."

Rick moved his hands up to Michonne's back and apologized. "Sorry, Ma'am. Won't happen again."

"That's right. Good to see you again."

"You too. Been awhile."

"Well, Michonne likes to keep you to herself when you're in town. She doesn't like it when we see her all stupid smiley and giggly, hurts her image."

Rick laughed as Michonne narrowed her gaze at her chatty friend. "I'm the one with the stupid grin tonight. Look at her, she's beautiful."

Michonne felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, wishing Sasha and Bob would find another spot on the floor, but they were quickly joined by the bride herself and her new husband.

"Hey, Rick!" Maggie said, excitedly. She wore a tea-length dress and cowboy boots, allowing her to maneuver easily on the dance floor and she seemed to be enjoying every minute of the night.

Rick paused their dance to hug her and shake the groom's hand. "Maggie, Glenn, congratulations. It's a beautiful wedding."

"Thank you," Glenn replied. "It's good to see you again. We're really glad you could come."

He glanced at Michonne, raising his eyebrows suggestively and Rick smiled at how sheepish she appeared compared to the night he had met her. He had accurately predicted her no-nonsense approach to life that night, she was tough and self sufficient and he found her assertiveness a good match for his own, but her bashful side was still a sweet surprise whenever it came out. It was usually the mention of him that coaxed that diffident look and that made him like it even more.

"Alright, guys," Andrea said, appearing beside them with a waiter in tow. "This guy brought shots. Time to get the party started." She began taking them one by one off of the tray the man was holding and passing them out. Rick heard the band announcing a faster number and quickly chugged his, preparing to make a fool of himself to make Michonne happy. He didn't mind one bit.

…

Michonne held her high heels in her hand, the gaudy but plush hotel carpet feeling like a cloud under her tired feet. Rick had his arm slung around her waist, originally to help with her wobbly legs, but now serving as more of a distraction since his hand was roaming up and down her belly, dipping lower and lower. She tilted her head up, nipping at his chin and causing him to let out a low growl as they hurried toward their room.

"Here we are again, stumbling toward a hotel room in the middle of the night," she simpered, the alcohol coaxing a coquettish demeanor from her that Rick was eating up.

"Shane better not be in there," he joked, turning his head to catch her attempt at another bite, and turn it into a kiss. "And you're the one stumbling."

They made it to their door and Rick grabbed her hips, maneuvering her in front of him so she could feel his need for her pressed against her ass. He fumbled slightly with the keycard, but finally opened the door so they could tumble in.

Michonne made a beeline for the bed, tossing her shoes aside and falling facedown on the mattress. "I drank too much," she sighed.

Rick pulled his shoes off, discarding his suit jacket on the back of a chair and came to sit beside her. "You feel ok?" he asked.

"I do right now," she said, turning her head to look at him. "It's tomorrow I'm worried about."

He leaned over her, finding the little hook that kept her dress closed and setting it free. He slowly ran the zipper down, pausing to leave small kisses on her back as he exposed it. "This is working between us, right?" he asked, standing to tug the short dress out from under her and down her legs.

"Better than I thought it would," she smiled, resting her head on the crook of her arm and watching as he ditched his tie.

"I mean, I know it's a lot of driving, but I'm happy." He rid himself of the rest of his suit, leaving just his boxers on and climbed back onto the bed beside her.

"I'm happy too, Rick." Crawling toward him like a cat, she draped herself on top of him and began pulling pins out of her hair as her locs cascaded one by one onto his bare chest.

"So what do you say? A year, tops, before me and you are doing this?"

She laughed out loud at his nonchalant life altering questions. She paused her hair ministrations, pushing up on her arms to look him in the eye, and she was met with a cocky smile that had her stomach teeming with butterflies. "You're drunk," she snickered.

"So are you," he said, massaging her hip just above her panties. "But if I asked you if you wanted more wedding cake right now, would you say yes?"

"Of course I would," she answered, a small part of her brain side tracking to wonder if she could actually get some more cake right now.

"So, you still know what you want."

"I know exactly what I want," she said, kissing him to avoid the rest of the conversation. It wasn't that she didn't think about it; they were both old enough and had experienced enough to know when something was right. It just scared her the way he made it so clear that he was there for the taking and all she had to do was claim him.

Thankfully he seemed distracted now, sliding her bra straps down her shoulder and following them with his lips, and she took the opportunity for less talk and more action. She got to work grinding her hips into his, drawing a sound from his lips she was sure was that of all coherent thought draining from his brain. Because he was exhausted and more inebriated than he was admitting, he allowed her to remain on top, manipulating him in a way that she normally didn't get to experience for long.

"Let's say six months," he joked through quickening breaths as she curled her back to kiss his stomach. She playfully slapped her palms on his chest and he responded by grasping her around the waist and flipping her onto her back, assuming his standard position of covering her with his body. "I love you, Michonne. This has been the best two months of my life."

"I love you, too," she said, letting him take over while her mind tossed around his words. She she felt the same way. The two of them fit so perfectly together. He was confident, yet completely willing to accept how much he adored her. She trusted him more than she had ever trusted a man, even Mike and, just like Maggie had predicted, he seemed to admire her independence, rather than being threatened by it. He didn't ask for anything more than her time and her love and she was delighted to have been so wrong about how taking this chance would turn out.

He was working his way down her stomach with his mouth when she decided to tell him that, keeping her hand firmly on the top of his head, to make sure he didn't stop his mission. "I want to get there with you, Rick. I can see us ending up like Maggie and Glenn. I just...it seems…" She chanced a glance down to where he had landed, only the top of his head visible, his hair sticking up in all directions from her fingers pulling at it, and her words started to break into pleasured gasps.

"Go on," he said against her lace panties which he had left in place to tease her.

She took a deep breath, trying to remember what she was saying. "It just seemed so crazy, so fast, but I know it's right, now. I do."

Against her wishes he paused, picking up his head up to look at her. "Michonne, I've done what I was supposed to do, what made sense to everyone else before and it didn't turn out well for me or anyone involved. My ex-wife and I were together since we were kids, followed the easy, well laid out path and look what happened. This might not make sense on paper, how quickly I knew what you were gonna be to me, but it feels more right than anything ever has." She smiled down at him and he kissed the inside of her thigh. He was ready to get back to his previous task, but caught her eyes one more time. "We'll go at whatever pace you want. I know where we're heading. We'll get there when you say."

She gave into him, dropping her head against the pillow and deciding to forfeit thought for the evening. He was telling her she was in charge, but setting out to prove the opposite with his tongue as he proceeded to leave her speechless, and she was going to remain that way.

…

"So I gotta thang in a couple weeks, I was hoping you would come to," Rick said, exiting the bathroom in their hotel room wrapped in a towel, fresh from his morning shower.

Michonne was collecting her things from around the room, getting them ready to check out. "Oh yeah?" she asked, distractedly. "What kinda thaaang?"

"It's a policeman's ball," he chuckled. "It's for charity."

"They really have those?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

"They do in a little town like mine."

She laughed, shaking her head at the quaint little place he called home and realized it was just another thing she loved about him.

"Of course I'll go," she agreed, finishing the last of her packing while he got dressed. She could see nothing coming up in either of their lives that they wouldn't be sharing, she thought. It made as much sense that she would be there with him, as he would be accompanying her to Maggie's wedding.

Rick's prediction about their future was still burrowing into her brain as they prepared to say goodbye for another week. This was working between them; she was telling them both the truth when she'd admitted it and after his speech last night, given from the most intimate spot on her body, she knew she was being foolish to hold back over some preconceived timeline that the world set for them. He knew what he knew and she trusted him.

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"How long can you stay today?" she asked, continuing to putter around their room. She was going to try his laidback approach on for size.

"I can hang out as long as you want," he said, sitting down to pull on his boots. "What do you want to do?"

"Do you want to meet my parents while you're here?"

"I do," he said, surprised by the suggestion, but matching her casual tone through a hidden grin.

"It's not going to be easy...they're picky and kind of opinionated."

"Can't all be a vacation on the beach, right?"

"Right," she smiled, hoisting her bag over her shoulder. "I'll call them."

-End


End file.
